A Steel Mill Closed

It is the main mission of the Republican press at this time to find as many factories closing as possible and then annonnce that they are shut down for fear of the adoption of the reform tariff. It matters not to these gentry that it may be a shutdown for repairs, or for new machinery, or for laek of orders. To them the reason is always the same - "fear of irnpending tariff changes." Once in awhile, liowever, they run against a man who objects to being classed with those who cannot walk without crutches in the shapeof a beneficent tariff. Recently our opponents met just such a one, and his observations are so very ïnuch to the point that we print them. The works in question are the "Pennsylvania Steel worke,"' a largo and important concern in the steel trade. The tartte reasou for the sliutdown is given by Mr. Fredêrick W. Wood, second vice president of the company, as the "iinpossibility of continuing while the McKinley larilï was in operatiou." MeKinleyites jilease note and explain, the "American Monopolist" being especiaily invited to comrneut on the statements of Mr. Wood. His statement is as follows: "Previous to the past year we vrere in a position to compele most favoiably with the steel manufacturers of the :ountry. Just at present we are not, though the fault is not our own. It is all due to the discovery of deposits of good steelmaking ore in Michigan, on the banks of Lake Superior. The ore comes from what are known as the Mesaba districts and can be very cheaply miued by steam shovels and loaded by them directly on the cars. "Owing to the freight charges, we cannot, of course, compete with the milis west of the Alleghanies in purchasing this ore. Nor can the foreign ore from Cuba and the Mediterranean, whicli we use entirely, paying the duty of 75 cents a ton, compete with the western ore. "The restilt is that our steel business has gone to pot and will continue so if the western output holds out and the tariff is not taken off the raw material. "If the tariiï is taken off raw material, we shall be able to on even terms with the other steelmakiug companies. If it is not, I do not think there is a single company east of theAlleghany mountams that will be able to continue operations in steelmaking. "As I nnderstand the tariff. it is intended to encourage the industry and not to shut up manufactories. When this is the result, it has outlived its uspfulness. With the tariff off raw material, eastern and western plants would be on an equal basis." This is a Pennsylvania concern. lts owners own iron mines in Cuba, from which most of the iron for these plants was taken, and they now find that protection is not the ideal system they have so long imagined it. In f act, their ox is being gored. We commend the f act above recited and the additional truths it brings out to the coneideration of our protection friends thnïughout the countrv. Think. gentlemen, think. and then irgiie if you can