The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-02-14

I
~ used IN our manufactures, il will com.
chaFgsd 10 the English manufacturer at half ;
i1'shny pound, or about iour per cent. on thc
cosI but the wool brought INTO our marke
| pays duty Of thirty per cent. on the cost
pt this alteration in the duty, therefore, the
English lnanuiat turer obtains ms raw material
20 per cent. cheaper than the American.
ms advantage alone, if ali other things wer,
equal, would drive the American from the
market. II 90 or b cents be assumed az
The average cost Of wool, il will lead 10 near
" The same result. It is no answer TO this
view OF the subject, TO ,ay that large portion
OF wool used here, is purchased OF Gus far
ners; for, as long as wool is imported, the
foreign article will regulate the price ana
when American wool OF equal quality falls
below II, imporations will cease. But, let
US, SAID i'ir. -. pursue Ike inquiry little 4ur-
tbe:, and see how much prote, ton is actually
afforded to the manufacturer by the present
tariff. Letus see how much more The ameri-
can manufacturer pays for the wool which Is
wrought into yard o. cloth, tlan The English
We will then assume twenty cents as the ay-
efage cost o. wool in Europe; for, whether 1t
be correct OF incorrect, Il will Illustrate the
Argument. 1t costs, IS am informed sale
he, two cents a pouni for freight-ths IS teD
per cent. on the eost-the duty is 80 per
cent; this makes 40 per cent. to which is 70
be added from5 to 10 per cent. for other
charges, exclusive of the difference IN ex-
change, which is thrown out Of the question.
Add then 10 per cent. which it is believed
will not, on an average, vary much from the
truth, aud the freight duty and charges "a
mount so per cent. Oh the cost; or pound
n VVOTI which IN Eur,,,o
cost hee 80 cents. Now, on an average, the
wool y estimated to be one-thrd of the ex-
pense OF yard OF Cloth. Suppose then d
yard OF Cloth costs three dollars, the Wool OF
whichit is made costs one dollar; but as ii
costs 50 per cent. more here, than in Europe,
the American manu- acturer pays 50 cents
more for the wool III this yard OF cloth, than
the foreign manufacturer. Fifty ents is one
sixth OF the whole cost, or 49, per cent.
whlchis clear drawback upon the protecting
duty OF 80 per cent. and beng deduc ,ed
nom II, leaves protection Of only lG5 per
cent. or oHe-haii OF the amount loniina iy Sc
cured By he tariff. Ii it should be thought,
sad Mr.. D. that the average price OF wool
here assumed is incorrect, it is certain the
truth does not lag lar enough from it to vary
the result materially. Thus 1t is plain. that
one-hall OF the pro'e ction intended TO be Sc
cured 10 the manufacturer Is swept away.
But this is not all, lor this l6 per cent. is
SUBJECT to heavy deductions Olive oil pays
duty Of 25 cents on the galion-casille soap
heavy duty, and many other ARTICLES which
enter ~ lafga!Y tRj0 the .@aygtaG!qEs q el9sn
as protection, fall considerably below l6s
per cent. This, said Mr.. d. Is the coudlIol
IA which the modification OF he British larii
has placed the American manufacturers aud
SAID he, the question may here be fairly pu
to the House, whether this Is not such a mate
nal change for the benefit Of the British 70 N
uiactureT, as TO justify the memorIa ISIS liz APP
peaIms TO this government for that measure o
protection, at least, which was intended 10 b,
given them by the act OF 1924.
But, said Mir. d. the manufacturers alegs
that even this moderate protection is wholly
evaded, SO that In truth they receive NO pro
lection at all.
will, said Mr.. d. lay before the House thf
evidence OF the fraudulent practices by which
this is effected, which is cfcumstancial IN ii;
character; for, like other frauds, they ere IN
geniousiy disguised, but it rises as near Il
demonstration as il well can and fall short o
it.
III mist iloIGS luCAs knC
trade in woollens has, Tor some years, been
declining IN the hands of American mer-
chants; and now il is estimated that four.
fiths Of it IS nIonopolized by foreigners how
does this happens? When have American
merchants bowed down under a tar and hon.
cradle competition When have .ey yield
ed their own proper sphere 0: action, thei
own market, TO strangers? Has that high
/ 81
up proofs of their skill and success in every
part OF the country, degenerated? No, sir
Ain explanation OF th.s anomoly must be tount
in another cause. The American mporte
! has been forced from the market because th,
/ foreign manufacturer pays less duty than ne
IL will be remembered that the duty is estl
mated upon the value OF the goods at th,
place from whence imported. An invoice il
therefore made up in such place, and, wher
the goods arrive IN this country, it is exhibitet
| at the Custom House as the true value, aut
the Guties are ascertaincd accordingly. The
American merchant, therefore, has but one
course open TO him; his invoice consists o
the prices at which he buys, and the full du.
| ~ is thus larry obtained OF him. But it Il
not so with the British manufacturer h,
| owns the goods, and makes up the invoice up
on his own estimation, being interested, L
sell them as low as possible to escape the du
ty; and it is found IN practice that be sat
them lower than the market price in England
lower than they can be bought, and, conse
quently, pays less duty, and can sell cheaper
than the American importer, and the come
quence has been what we should expect
The trade has Seen forced out oil American
hands, aud has been usurped by lcregners.-
The result is convincing proof OF the fraud.
IT is vain to say that oaths are required
and that the Custom-houso has appraisers
! these are bat feeble proofs that the business
is conducted fairly aud honestly, when II
leads to such results. would not be under
stood as imputng any wrong to these officers
ioI they are doubtless imposed upon. The
merchants Of this country have passion Tor
business that needs no exciting; il never lag.
behind opportunities OF making profit, and ye'
they cannot sustain themselves in this trade.
Again, said Mr.. ID. it is alleged that unfn