Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-05-24

tralizes IT, Let US for moment examine these two
positions. The first rests upon the assertion that the
competition created by the domestic manufacture has
so reduced prices that the consumer is the gamer
by the high protection which first induced, and
snstains, the domestic manufacturing system. We
ask fhs true? BY reference to the statements
ed to the report Of the majority the committee the
price current Of London Tor the year 1906 which will be
there found, it will appear that the price Of bar IRON
there, in that year. Ell los, which at four doara
and eighty cents to the pound sterling is $e3 Co. and
by another table there 10 be found, will appear that in
the year ia in the same market, the English bar iron
was rs l5S. S32 TO- AT the sar:e time II " III appear
that, in Sweden the best Swedish bar iron which is
admitted be equal TO, if better than all ohee,
was selling for Ell 5s.=$53 90. The Swedish bar
IRON sells now in London, after paying duty of 81 10
per ton, for S64 60 The dome site bar iron of ills
country sells now, and did in 1884, in the New York
market at Seo per ton which is than the hghos.
priced bar IRON did in London in 1906; while the best
har iron can be had IN Sweden for 53 W, being S3l
% per ton less than the consumer in the IT, S. paws
the same or an inferior quality of the domestic article
Mr. Young, in his statement also xed 10 the MILO
rty report says Thut upon the English prices of bar
iron in November last, and duty of twenty per cent
bar iron could be delivered on the dock IN Now York
at about S37 per lon, which is S4S less than our
domestic bar iron can now be purchased at the same
| place All the above facts rest upon the testmo
ny. of the manufacturers themselves and, therefore,
| there be mistake in assuming them TO be
| true. They show that pay more for bar iron
than did thirty years ago, while, if the duty was
reduced to twenty per cent I'D ralorcm, would get
the best Swedish al 90 dollars per ton less than we
pay now; besides which, there would be gain 10 the
revenue of twenty per cent, about so dollars per
ton, whereas the revenue gets nothing. The con-
pays the % dollars to somebody, and that
body, it cannot be Denied is the domestic producer;
and therefore he he consume) not only pays that tax
per ton but he forced TO pay it by the law which
imposes the high dnty. In the Of bar iron, st
least, while duty paid into the Treasury the Anne
rcan pays bounty Of 20 dollars per ton 10
the domestic manufacturer; and the domestic manuac-
urer while he puts the $50 into his pocket, consoles
the consumer, that, by the domestic competition created
preserved by high proteerc duties, he has got tho
article at much lower price than he would otherwise
have done ard, if he expresses doubt, the manuac
urer him that 1t is so, and that the idea
hat high protective duties increase the price is mere
"Virgna abstraction, and That lie had better 90 home
and inquire if he has not got his iron cheaper now than
he could have bought it thirty years ago, when the
duty only twenty per cent; and he further tells
him, by way Of comfort, that all the talk about the
equality of duties and mposts, provided for by the
Constitution, is stuff, and was never meant to pre-
vent the taxing of one section OF the country for the
benefit Of another, provided the tax was laid indirectly,
and paid voluntarily, as in his case. We think We
have made pretty clear that in bar iron al least,
the consumer has gained nothing by high protective
duties The result will be found TO the consumer
of iron castings $50 per ton and him who consumes
cotton cloth worth about eight cents in Europe after the
same shall have been valued ut the custom house at
twenty cents the square yard and duty OF thirty per
cent OH the twenty cents, six cents added TO the
original cost of eight cents is provided by the bill
reported by the majority of the committee And we
have also of doubt, though we have not
particularly examined the matter, that the same will
be found TO be the result in many other articles 0. COM
mon consumption specified in the bill
Now, let us proceed TO examine the truth OF tbs
position of those who admit the tax the consumer.
but insist that it is ncn;ai;A-d 10y tho benefits de-
rived from the domestic manufacture. We may admit
,h-tt,, Ian aIata To u,h.
live in the neghborhood of the factory and work in
it, or supply food the laborer furnish the other
requirements of the establishment, as in the case Of
Glenham Wool Factory, above referred to- Rnt how
is it with those who live al distance? These last can
only be benefited in two ways FIRST by the reduction
in price which have shown not the fact; but that,
the contrary he pays heavy tax or, secondly, by
giving him additional better market for his raw
material other produce. Let US see whether 1t does
this Take thescase Of the or wheat grower OF
the seaboard Of Maryland or Virginia Do the iron
foundries of the interior benef, him, contribute in
any way, to compensate him for the higher price he
pays for his horse shoes poughs, or hoes or his cot
ton his wooen cloths or blankets, or hats or negro
shoes, Take the planter, and will lind that the
quantity of rice consumed in the manufacturing States
is comparatively too small TO affect the market price
materially, at all. Take the cotton-planter. The
statements made before the committee would show that
the eight States with the addition of Delaware, Mary
land and Maine, consume about 300 600 bales 20,.
900 600 Of pounds say sixth OF the average crop
of the IT, S. The other 500 900 bales, or G0O,OOOCOO
of pounds may constitute about one.alf OF the average
consumption of the raw material in Europe and makes
the mpton here about eleventh of the whole
CONSUMPTION Of Europe and the United States but If
no cotton manufactured in the United States,
the consumption of the manufactured article would
not be materially affected, especially in the nom
manufacturing States, for such these last
would certainly consume much they DO now; the
only difference would be, the article would be manu-
aciured abroad and sent back here 10 he consumed
paving 90 per cent TO the revenue, instead oil lu or O
per cent on The COST the domestic manufacturers.
The remittance to pay for the foreign manufactures
imported would be furnished by the exported raw ina
teria so that additional foreign drain for specie
would BIZ Created and thus disappears the humbug int
the domestic manufacture prevents foreign indebted
ness II would he exchange OF tie raw mate
rial for the manufactured and 81 900 worth OF the ore
would pay for ST 600 cost Of the other Again: there
is no gain in difference OF price Of the material,
for the Charleston, Savannah, and New Orleans mar
kets are regulated by the price in Europe, all know;
and the purchaser whether for the domestic foreign
market pays Just the price. Where, then, is the
benefit the rice cotton States? None that we can
see. In the island or long staple, none certainly;
for it believed that scarcely bale is consumed in The
domestic manufacture We certainly do see very tl3
or no benefit the rice cotton planter; and as thesa
are the great of the horses, cattle and gram
of Kentucky and Tennessee, and perhaps even OF the
Northwestern States, we can see but little heneht 10
them by system which, while it reduces the ability OF
their best customers purchase, must, and indeed iS
forcing those produce at home those very
articles So far, indeed, is the system from being be-
neft any of these pnrtles that, in consequence ct
the high duties, they pay from II to l6 cents on the
dollar for each pair of American shoes they con-
sumo than they would for French or German shoes OF
the quality, after these last have paid 90 cent
duty into the Treasury, will appear by reference 10
the statements Of the manufacturers annexed TO the
report Of the majority. The remarks will apply
hats, and to all other manufactures highly protected
which they consume. The citizens of Name and the
other States, who travel into Canada well know that
they get brondcoth coat in Quebec al about Two
tn rds of the cost of coat Of The quality in Bos
ton, New York. or Philadelphia But, say the domes.
tic manufacturers destroy domestic factories, and
all manufactures would Immediately rise in price, from
of competition This would no doubt, be the result
if competing with G. Britain, or any other ma
ton, alone; but competing with not only o. b'''
tain, but with France and all Germany, including swe-