New-York daily tribune., 1843-11-24

tive Policy from yesterdays Courier and I'm
yuirer wherein it appears as the leading f'u-
| torial We do this not merely on account o' l's
great intrinsic worth but also because the Courier
has been widely represented by the loco-I oc'
! Press as In favor OF overhauling and moo.lylhg
the Tariff this winter This article IS conclusive
on that point. We believe there is not v ny
journal in the Union which does not stan" ny '''e
| Tariff as it is. ,s
! Euoiisb Views of the American Aarih'
From the Ccuie! and E"q""e'-l
W. ca - late number of the Birmingham
| Journal copy of report mace 20 tl'e oiaipef
I &c Commerce IN that city by one oi It's commit
toes upon the probable effects OF the American
Tariff of 1912 on the manufactures and trade of
that district 1t has evidently been prepared
with great care and indicates generally accurate
and comprehensive knowledge Of our national
policy and commercial condition. Its length pre-
cludes its publication in full in columns; but
we shall present such portions of it to our readers
as tend to establish the absolute necessity OF Ane
rican interests Of Tariff essentially like that
which is now in force. The views which the
report embodies, though they are those OF men
whose interests would be greatly promoted by the
prevalence and practice of Free Trade opinlons,
likewise indicate that they are Tar too wise ana
far too practical to expect the occurrence OF any
such anomaly. They see clearly that American
interests absolutely demand a Tariff which shall
protect them and that, in self-detence, our gov
ernment must resort to the protective pollcy. IN
the introduction of their report they present
comparative view Of the several Tariffs OF 1875,
1898. and lS42. the sum of which is that the
duties imposed by the Tariff Of 1912 are found to
,rho
which ad raIorem rates are charged, and some.
what lower on those on which specified rates are
charged than those imposed by the Iarltt OF $40;
and t,co ffths higher than the average rates un-
der the Compromise Act of 1888 on goods sub
iect to ad oatorem rates. or equal on the average
to an advance of from % per cent. to 50 per
cent nd ualOrem on articles subject to SPECIFIC
rates it averages about the same The TACT how
ever, that prices are now lower IN the English
markets than they were in 1928 and 1888, greatly
increases the duties per cent. on the speclhc ar
ticles. Thus from 1888 to 1886 the duty on bar
iron was $50 per ton; the article then com
manded fl0 in the English markets, SO that the
duty was 621 per cent.-Under the Prescn'
Tariff the duty is S25; but as the article is worth
only f5, the duty is equal to lO4 per cent The
same disparity exists in pig IRON and IN some
other articles And yet, although the per cent.
duty on these articles is now nearly t1lce as high
as il was under the Tariff Of 1893, 1t ls fact
worthy the attention of those who insist that the
price of all imported articles Is increased by the
amount of duty they pay that bar iron, which
under the duty of 621 per cent. would have cost
fl6. 5s, now costs but flO Is. I'd. per ton and
pigs, which would then have cost Fl. Is Sd,
would now cost but "a. l6s. Cd This IS an I'M
portant fact and one which speaks volumes in
rcfutation of the attacks made upon Protective
Tariff as inevitably raising prices by the addition
of the duty. 1t should be borne IN mnd, too,
that its authenticity does not rest on the bare as
serton of the friends of Tariff, but Is conceded
| by those most interested against lt-irom British
merchants and manufacturers, whose business II
directly and severely affects.
An important part Of the Report Of the Biz
,ninglran Committee is that which treats of the
causes which have led to the successive additions
TO American duties on British manufactures
effected by the Tariffs of lSlS 1923, 1923, 1888
and 1912, respectively. The first cause they find
in the tnatll:ty Of the Ame'icans to Puy j~
British Goods an inability not owing to want
of equivalents, but to those British laws which
shut ont Of British ports the staple productions
Of the most important States IN tie Union. The
ugrlculturaiists of America could not, therefore,
render their wheat, cofn and provisions, available
in payment for manufactures Then, too, the
money laws of Great Britain have operated TO
force down the prices Of cotton, tobacco, &c, and
have drained our country of It's gold and silver
deranging our currency, destroying trade and
stopping the consumption Of British manuiac
lures. The farmers of the United States have,
therefore, been driven to look at home Tor Their
manufactures, and have thus found it absolutely
necessary 70 encourage their own establishments.
1t has thus come to be equally advantageous 10
both the agricultural and manufacturing classes,
that the latter should be protected in order 10
gire the former at once market for Their pro.
ductions and the goods ,ohich they need, and
which they cannot purchase abroad. The fol-
! lowing paragraph from the Report lorcibly eX-
hbs the detenSipe character of our legislation on
the subject of protection
" The Committee beg call the particular attention u
the Chamber of Commerce the fact that the Corn Law Of
1915 succeeded by the American Tariff of 1916; that
the stringent action of money law during the 1919
TO 1922 followed by the Tariff of 1929 that the
radctiSe acton OF our laws ON the currency during 's
1926 aud 1927 and the consequent depression prices
OF American products aud also the drain of specie fcm
America during that period occasioned the high Ian o
lS2S as a defensre medStr,. That the Improvement
trade and prices attendant extension of our banking
ten the establishment of Joint stock banks
abou; the year 1928, followed by Mr. Cays CompTo
mise Tariff OF 1888. And finally that the difficulties
money market during the 1897 to 1872 caused by the
defects OF system connection with bad har-
vests which the first forced down the prices Of
American products markets than 30 per cent;
and the second distracted large of specie from
America stopping their banks and running their trade and
their merchants; have been followed BY This Tariff Of 1872
under confederation
Now this by no means makes it certain that
we should find it expedent or safe to throw off all
Protective duties, eveni had not
been thus hostile; but 1t clearly proves that un-
der existing circumstances, while British laws
remain as they have hitherto been, we have no
alternative. Protection is absolutely necessary
RSta 60 clo IL To