What The Tariff Did

Tlhc clase relation between the Wilso n Tariff law and ■Htm present strike of the coal miners is the subject of ffiudh comment amang teuriff etudents and members of Oongresa generally. That the reductlon whlch tliat law made i:i the tariff 0:1 coal caused greatt reductions in the wages oí miners is easily shown, and that the drop in wages was practically colncident with the reJuctio';i in duties upon coa] is gene.'ally recognized by those Lamilia.r with the subject. President d of the United Mine Wockers' AssociatiO'n, in a communicatio'n to "The New Yoirk Herald,'1 dated July 3, says : A miner's wages in the Weestern Pennisylvaiiia field ranges trwm 54 to 47 cemte per ton in thin veined districts, and fnom 30 to 28 cents per ton in the thick veined. In 1893 the mrninig rate in thin veined districts was 79 cénits, aad In thick veined 65 cents per ton. During the same yea-r the rate in the Ohi'Oi and Indiana was 70 and 75 cent, respectively. ïfow it is 51 cents, with a reductioin proposed in Ohio to 45 cents per ton. This ratio holds göod in a geuieml way all along the Unes ; Illinois, a portiO'n of Iowa, Bastero and Central Pennsylvania and the Virginias are all equally affected. These figures indícate a reduction in nates far mlning of from 20 to 30 cénits per torn since 1893. It was in December, 1893, that the Congress which fra-med the Wilsoa Tariïf law met, anid the woirk upon the bill wihich reduced the cotal tairiff to 35 cénits per torn was begun. It was püormised that that bill would take t!he entire duty o:f coal, and, as framed by tb.8 W.tv. ail Means Committee a-md passed by the House, it did place coal upon the free list. The SemaJte, hOTveve", restored a part of tSie duty cm coal, making the rate 40 cents per toa, and the bill when it became a la-w reduced the tariff rate o-a bituminous coial by 35 cents a ton, tlhe pate under the McKinley law navlng been 75 cents a tan. That the entire reduction of wages wthieh miners are coniplaining of has occuirred since the beginning of work U'pion tlie Wilson Tarifif law, and that Uhe Teductioa is nearly the same as the reduction made in the tariff duty by that act, is of itself a remarkable coincidence, and would almost warrant t!he assumption that the tariff reduction caused the reductioln in wages. It is aot necessary, hotwever, mercly to nssumo t,hia of t depend upan tlico'1 y alome to nhow that the roduction in the taviíf cause:! t'.ie reduction in rates f" mlning. II Is susceptible oí p:ioof from facts known to ev.ery ma.n Interested in or jicquainted witti co-al miniag and coa-l operatio'aa of the liU5t few yaars. Betoire the passage oi the Wilsoin Ta-viff bttl a visito? to Nowport News, thé eaatward terminal or the Oiêsapeake and Ohio TvHilw.iy, might have neen ftt' any time fi om ïomr i i a dozen coasting ressels lylog ia th9 docks a-waiting the a irival o ' H traine fifim Yi--ir.ii and West Virginia, l.oaded witli ml destiaed to be shlpped t. New Y -k an,d New Bmgland. N i soaaer h id tlie Wilson tariii taken eifect .;i:in tliea ■ vess Is dis ippeared as c implei ;ly as tüiomgih they had been engul ed in mid-'Oceaa. The reaéon was simply that the Patu (i.'duty anooalunder th ■ M-Kinley la w Wias siieli as tí es eign oo 1 !■ ■■'! 'NVrt Elngland castp rt-, but the reduetloB oï the mte t ) 40 ceats per to1 by the WJ1sior law perimitted N wi ' Bcatia coal to enter the Northeastern Atlantic ports at such lom rates that the "West Yi:inii coal ccmld not compete with it. The Novia Scotia coals are ehe-aply mlned, nud as many of the mines extend trader water, it is practicable to lo-ad the cpial divectly on vessels, and ttaus place ib in any o! the Easteim United States ports at vo y low prices. The result of this pednctlo-n ia the tariH was that the SSPovla Scotia coal the place in the cast oí that fromthe West Virginia mines and thut the West Virginia mine-ownevs and operatO:rs wre coonpelled to eek a market elsewhere. Ilailroud rates to' the west were reduced, and colal whlch had fo'rmerly gome to New Engalnd went west and carne into competitlon wlth the coal oí Ohio, Indiana and IUinow. Tlie p:-ice of coal in the western markets tumbled ; then follöwed a rate war between nailiaads and between mines and mine owne'-T?, a reducttoo In tihe -wages flO'r mining at the east, followed ïy reducti'Ons in the west, until miners' wages became lower th-am. they liad ever been known under the proitective P'Olicy oí tlie republicana. Other causes have operated With cqual ce.tainty in keeping down the prices which it was possible to pay Bar mining. Tlie activity and proeperity oí the miner priinarily depends uipon the activity. and prosperity of th' manuifactmers, slnce machinery is moved by steain, in the production of wWch eoal must be cmisumed. AYhatever increases the yuuaber of milis and gives employmen to mili hamds, increases worlc KW the miner; but whiatever reduces the number of mili operativos is as much against the interests of the miner as it is iigainst the interests of the mechanic. The suspension, oí work in factorles, business estaiblisJhments of various kinds and industries of all sirts in all p&Tta oí tin country resulting fnom the operatioai of the Wilson lavs ca.iised a g-"eat reduetian in tiie demaaid fw.' coal, a,nd cotnbined wWh the depves.sing effect of importatioms to reduce the dema.nd for the labor oí the miniei's and the priee paid for services. AVliile the amouorut of oo.al actiLally impocted is oi.ily about Bout millioo, touw a year, eaough to throiw out of employmeat about iJ,iii thoiusaiid miners, the loss ia markets Dj American minos by the suspension í manuíactu; ing has been greater. The present strike ai coal minera is looked Tipon wibh g-reat alarm by democratie leaders here. It calis attentio.n directly. and pointedly to the fact tlhat their legislatioia is ueyonU question responsible far the l'eduction oí wages which, accocding to President Batchjo-d, hias occurred since the inceptioci of tiiat legislation. Nat only is the .lemocnatic paity respo.nsiijle fr the reductioa of 35 cents per tooi which caused this reduction in wiages, but many of t'he men aoiw moet prooninent in its councils and as ita leaders urgcd and even demajided a rem,o;val oí the catire duty an coial, placing it absolutely upoin the free list, which womld have öoabttess still reduced the wages oí miners. William J. Bryaii, w!h3se mame, and tflieories are tcv be especially prominent in t)he apptioaohlng oainpalgns In the coal mluing states, was oue of Uhe most earnest anid active memtets of tlhe wing oí hia party which dciiLandcd the rem j val of the enrtire duty ota coal. saying in a speech in Üoi-gress oai January 13, 1894 : "The duty o:n coal is indefensibie. The duty om oo,al is aatlhins1 but a suíbsidy, wihich the people aloing the sea co'ftst are counpelled to pay to the companies. Take the tariff oíf from coal, bo that the New Bmgland manufacturers can buy ib )or less, and they can manufacture mJOire cheaply, and then by cuttlng dO'-win the tariff on the producís of their Jlactories, we oan coknpel them to sell at a loiweir price to the