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Show Utah Organization Will Seek Co-operation of Intermoun- j tain Operators to Prevent Reduction of Tariff. RITER READS REPORT ON THE SITUATION Gives Account of Attendance at Recent Hearings Before the Ways and Means Committee. THE finance committee of the Utah Lead Ore Producers at the Commercial club last oveuing decided de-cided to begin an active campaign cam-paign at once in opposition to any reduction re-duction in tho tariff on lead. The Utah producers are to ask the producers pro-ducers of lead and zinc in all inter-mountain inter-mountain states and tho stato of Missouri Mis-souri to co-operate with thm to the end that the ways and moans committee, commit-tee, the finance committee and tho Democratic congress, as a whole, may have full and reliable statistics upon which to base their deliberations. The feature of last evening's meeting, meet-ing, which was presided over by Captain Cap-tain Duncan MacVichie, chairman of the committee, was a report read by Georgo "NV. Eiter in connection with his attendance upon recent hearings before be-fore the ways and means committee at Washington, and which embraced numerous nu-merous meaty .suggestions as to future action, A Hard Fight. Mr. Biter's report was freely punctuated punc-tuated with interpolations, somo of which were of a confidential nature. He advised tho committee that the lead and zinc producers were now facing fac-ing the hardest fight of their lives, in view of the fact that, wihilo the former for-mer administration owed a political debt in tho matter of not interfering with the tariff on lead, tho present administration ad-ministration had no such obligation, and, in. fact, had no particular reason, political or otherwise, for favoring the lead-producing states. At tho conclusion of Mr. Biter's report, re-port, which was listened to with markod attention, Mr. Ferry asked Mr. Biter what recommendation he desired to make. Prepare Statistics. "T. would recommend," Mr. Biter replied, "that Utah at once prepare statistics upon her prodxiction of lead and zinc and also that wo procure the co-operation of all other lead, zinc and silver producing regions in tho inter-, mountain states, including Missouri, iu order tJiat wo may give the committees commit-tees of congress and congress itself something tangible to work upon. We are in the right, and if wo present out case as it should be presented, wc should win." Captain MacViehio thon moved that a. committee bo appointed to make tho necessary arrangements for gathering statistics covoring the production of lead and zinc in Utah, and, further, that the committee invito all lead and zinc producing states to co-oporate in tho matter to tho end that the producers pro-ducers may bo a'blo to present then-case, then-case, as its importance demands, at Washington. "2 do not bolieve," Captain Cap-tain MacViehio added, "that the Democrats Demo-crats want to ruin tlu3 country, and 1 am confident that if wc present our case fully and fairly wo have nothing to fear." Committee Chosen. Senator W. Mont Ferry then moved that the following bo appointed a committee com-mittee to carry out tho' suggestions; Captain Duncan MacVichie, chairman; Georgo W. Lambourne, vico chairman; Georgo W. Kitor, secretary; Senator Thomas Kearns, Ernest Bamberger, Georgo H. Dorn, W, Lester Mangum, C. E. Allen, John M. Hayes and Imcr Pett. Mr. Ferry's motion prevailed by a unanimous vote. The roport submitted by Mr. Ititcr was, iu full, as follows: Mr- Duncan MacVichie, Chairman., Finance Committee, Utah Lead Ore Produccra, Salt Lake City, Utah: Dear Sir In connection with the recent hearings before tho committee commit-tee on ways and mcanH at "WashlnK-ton "WashlnK-ton J desire to call attention to aomo phnscH of the proposed tariff Icgln-latlon Icgln-latlon that seem,' to call for prompt action on the part of the wcsttirn lead ore producers In defense of their own Interests. Tho first print of tho tariff hearings, hear-ings, which Is issued subject to correction cor-rection of stenographic and typographic typo-graphic errors, contains communications communi-cations from producers of lead area (Continued ou Pago Pour.), PRODUCERS OF ZINC AND LEAD WILL BEGIN FIGHT (Continued from Page One.) and manufacturers of lead goods who want the tariff reduced. Milton I Llsdborgur. who has appeared at former hearings na the representative of some fifty manufacturers manu-facturers of lead goodH, now ndvo-cates ndvo-cates placing lead on tho frco Hal, and says (p. 3770): "There Is no more reason for a duty on lend than there la on copper' The ad valorem duty of 25 per cent rtroposcd by tho former Underwood bill, and objected to by the minors as tending to do-Ktroy do-Ktroy the mning Industry, Is condemned con-demned by Mr. Llssborger as being of no help to the conoumcr and no benefit bene-fit to the government. Tic cays (p. 3770): "A duty of 2fi per cent would not bo a revenue producer, but would be, in fact, practically prohibitive. The entire revenue of the government from pig lead and lead ores was practically nil. and would not bo materially lncrcnsod by a 25 per cent ad valorem duty." Cut on Ores. Tho National Lead company, in a communication (p. 372S) to the committee, com-mittee, ask that the duty on white lead be kept at the present rate, 2 cents per pound, but recommends a cut of J cent from the precnt duty of U cents per pound on lead ores, and a cut or 3 cent per pound from the present duty of 21 cents on lead in bullion. It continues down the list, and then says: "Tho National Teod company Is the owner of lend mines, producer and smelter of lend ores, refiner of baso bullion and producer of pig lead, so that wc aro Interested In the tariff pertaining to these items which wc produce. "But wc arc also manufacturers of pig lend Into Its various products, and our business requirements of raw material make us largo purchasers of pig lead to an extent many times over our limited production. Thus wc are Interested from both points of view, namely, as producers of the raw material and aH purchasers." Tariff Predicted. While In New York city I hod a conference with an official of nnother large lead company, Just after his return from an Interview with some of tho members of the flnanco committee com-mittee on tho Democratic side. lie forecasts a tariff rate of 3 cent per pound on load In ores instead of tho existing rate of li cents. Although himself a producer of lead ores, he does not object to such a cut; ho only asks the establishment of what he calls a proper relationship between tho rates on raw matorlal and the rates on manufactured goods. With Edward Brush, one of tho vlco presidents of tho American Smelting & Refining company, I also had some conferences while In New York city. Mr. Brush approves. In the main, of tho brief filed on behalf be-half of tho Utah lead ore producers. In other words, he thinks the duties ought to be specific rather than nd valorem, and that the existing exist-ing rato of U cents per pound on lend contained in ores ought not to be cut appreciably, if at all. Tic sees no objection to cutting tho rate on base bullion sny S cent per pound, making the duty s cent higher than on lead In ore, or to a cut on pigs, bars and other manufactured forms of refined lend, so that the duty shall he, say i of a cent higher than on base bullion and say 3 of a cent higher high-er than on lead in ore Dislikes Features. lie dislikes the administrative features fea-tures of the existing act and would like the tariff applied to definite percentages per-centages of tlic lend contents of orcH and bullion, so as to do away with tho surveillance and bookkeeping now Involved In applying the tariff to the lead actually recovered. Individual members of the committee commit-tee on wnys and menns. in discussing the lead tariff privately, quote the statement mado to them that no matter mat-ter what congress docs lti an effort to help the lead miners, the bcnellts will nil hn fnKhlnrl nr hv lha n. called "lead trust" These statements, state-ments, sad to stato. have originated with men who claim to be lead-ore producers. Politics in Tariff. Politics, of course, will enter largely large-ly Into tho new tariff act- Four years ago the party then In power acknowledged acknowl-edged a political dobt to tho lead-producing lead-producing states. Yet the lead schedule sched-ule of the Payne-Aldrlch hill wan adopted by narrower majorities thnn any other portion of the act. In other words lead had fewer friends than any othor protected Industry. Tho party In power this year acknowledges ac-knowledges no political debts to the . silver-lead Interests, and sees little In the form of future political benefits bene-fits to be gained through catering to these Interests. The political debt. If any. Is In favor of the communities from which the demands now come for lower tariff on lead. Recent' Programme. Two months ago the political programme pro-gramme that had boon mapped out for the revision of tho tariff was somewhat as follows: 1. A bill to bo reported by the , committee on ways and means. Healing down all tariff rates. This bill to be Jammed through the house. In speclnl session, without much amendment, debate or delay. The senate to ho trusted to raise the rates contained in the house bill, reliance being placed on the finance committee to be ultra-conservative. 3. In the conference following the inevitable disagreement "between the house and tho senate, the managers In conference to compromise upon fairly conservative rates. In general somewhat lower tlinn the rates of the Paync-Aldrich law. Signs of Change. Moro recently, however, there aro signs of a change In this programme, for tho reason thnt the Democratic majority In tho now senate promises to be ultra-radical rather than ultra-conservative, ultra-conservative, and because President Wilson considers his duties legislative as much as executive, und seems likely like-ly to take a hand In the framing of the new bills. More thnn likely, therefore tho bill thnt will be reported report-ed by the committee on ways and means will approach more closely than was formerly Intended tho measure that tho committee really wants enacted Into law. Ah lo the ultra-radicalism of tho new senate, witness the shelving of the two oldest Democrats In length of service In the senate and the filling of the offices formerly held by them, namely, the chairmanship of tho Democratic caucus and tho presidency presi-dency pro tempore of tho senate, with young radicals. Word has also ben given out that because of his conservatism Senator Simmons of North Cn rolina. the ranking member on the Democratic side of the old finance committee, may not be elevated ele-vated to the chairmanship of that committee, .but that even If ho Is given tho chairmanship of that committee com-mittee the remaining places on the Democratic side of trui commlttco will be filled with radicals. The forecast fore-cast of the selections for tho Democratic Demo-cratic side of this commlttco contains con-tains tho names of no champions of the silver-load Industry. Friend Removed. On the Republican aide of the finance committee, death ban re-mnved. re-mnved. Senator Heyburn. one of the champions of th lead tntlfT. ar I It Is po'Mc that Prntr.r nik of Wyoming will be lft off the om- j mltlee in order to make room for a Democrat. The only champion of tho silver-load Interests- who Is reasonable rea-sonable sure of being continued on the finance committee Is Senator Smoot;. but as a member of the minority, mi-nority, he may get only scant consideration. con-sideration. In the house the protective forces have been almost completely routed, not only through loss of numbers, but through loss of leaders. Of the Savon Republicans holding places on the recent committee on ways and means, only one of them escaped dor feat In Tils own congressional district. dis-trict. Little Time Left. This year, therefore, It is plain that the caso for lead must be presented pre-sented and fought on Its merits, and that there Is no time to waste before getting ready for the next move. Senator Smoot urges most strongly that the lead ore producers of Idaho, Utah, Colorado and other western slates get together In conference con-ference and agree upon a memorial or brief, to bo submitted to tho finance committee In "behalf of the western silver-lead Industry In Its entirety. Thl3 brief should be largely large-ly statistical and should contain comprehensive com-prehensive statements of aggregate productions costs, profits, freights, wages and other pertinent data, and last but not least, the probable effect of various possible modifications of the existing tariff rales. Democratic members of the old finance commit-too commit-too aro also frank in recommending recommend-ing that producers mako common cause In so far as they are affected by the same paragraphs of the tariff act. Acting on this hint, tho manufacturing manu-facturing Industries arc hard at work in preparation of their cases. They realise that If they do not supply the proper ammunition to their friends In congress tbey cannot expect proper consideration of their cause. Resolutions and personal appeals help a little; but, above all, tho lawmakers law-makers must have facts. General Conference. I trust, therefore, that your committee com-mittee of lead ore producers will take tho necessary steps towards bringing bring-ing tho producers of neighboring states into a general conference, so as to mako early preparation for the next move at Washington. So far as I am aware, no steps have yet been taken towards making a comprehensive comprehen-sive compilation of lend statistics for tho state of Utah, to say nothing about any movement towards getting all of the lend producing states under one banner. At the hearings before the commlttco commlt-tco on ways and means, In which Judge King and the writer represented repre-sented tho Utah lead producers, our efforts were directed towards winning win-ning the commltteo away from the Idea of nd valorem duties and towards to-wards securing consideration for lend from a protective standpoint. No great stress was laid on tho rates that ought actually to prevail In the new tariff act. I can speak only In high torms of tho manner In which .Tudgo King performed his part of the mission. Idaho Represented. The Idaho lead producers were ably represented at tho hearing bv Frederick Fred-erick 15. Burbldgo of Spokane. Wash. George W. Cook of Denver, Colo., appeared ap-peared nominally In behalf of lead as well as zinc, but at the hearing lie said little about lead, and a great deal was ( not related to either lead of 7.1nc. As to the tariff on zinc 1 found tho Missouri producers well organlcd and receiving some co-operation from western producers, but not as much as tho cause deserves. The Missouri zinc producers arc keeping up an ac-tlvo ac-tlvo campaign, and aro maintaining a permanent bureau In Washington, with Messrs. Ruhl and Samuels in charge. I regard the presentation of this report as terminating the work for which I vafi engaged, and trust that ' it will be accepted by your commlttco. and that the suggestions contained herein will bo acted upon. |