New-York daily tribune., 1861-01-19
DUTY ON DOMESTIC SALT.

70 he Editor Of Tse n T. T-itne
Sin: In your brief commentary upon the Governors
Message, on TIE 81 ns you take occasion 10 romark
az follows: b..
1f g. h.: go q. I ns ' en-
End tiop wa;e! supplied by H. Tut I not sis ., I'd az ss
opS SSI po oe be procgred so chapy and we DO
not why this State should supply them to tho people 0i
wiah, respectfully in few brief words, in behalf
of the manufacturers, to reply to the proposal 30 in
crease the duty on eah because fear it viii have
perncious effect upon the Legislature and upon the
public mind to permit your appreciation Of the measure
70 pass unnoticed.
The only issue / can conceive TO be involved in the
Gaze IT, as what viii most conduce TO the advantage
Of al the interests connected with the manufacture of
sal II that can be ascertained, then shall know
exactly what to DO. One thing ID certain-"we can't
have our cake and cat ii too." We can't increase the
dnty, and preserve market Just in the proportion
that we add TO The duty just in that measure We cut
ourselves of from consumers. Our salt DOW goes
in every direction far il can be rushed without
actual loss. You win admit that manufacturers
cannot long continue in the business Of selling salt at
Al 25 that shall cost 81 80 nthey could, they would
send salt 70 New Orleans and the State might levys
duty Of two, FIVE, OF cents Just what it pleased.
Now, if the duty Is raised FIVE cents per barrel We
shall inevitably lose Just that proportion Of the market
70 which the last five cents remaining of profit, at this
time transports it. This will by so much reduce the
quantity made and 10 that extent will operate
prohibition against manufacture.
It, in reality is Offering bounty upon the consump
ton of every kind ofsal that in competition with
our own and we situated in the interior Of the
country, market forms irregular circle assailable
from every point Of the compass TIE production Of
salt in the Valley Of the Ohio is equal TO oars and
are maintaining close doubtful, and ever-varying
contest with it through a the interior Of Ohio Indiana
ard I!linoR, with portions Of Missouri aud Iowa.
Should tbis State burden It's own manufacture with
sxty seventy thousand dollars Of additional charges
in the shape Of increased duties the shouts Of the man
ufacturcIo OH tho banks Of the Ohio and Kanawha
the advantages which they would eep from blind
ness Or intuation might very possibly be heard in the
dome Of your City Hall. But the State would fail Of
realizing the duty, in the Of its expectations
II would break down It's manufacturc-thats ALL
and the manufacturers Of the South-West would step
promptly and oyfuy into the possession OF the markc.
thus vacated by shor-sghted and grasping policy
You seem to regard il as but tri6ug affair 10 In.
crease the duiies salt hundred per cen boz
cause happens to be made grounds and from water
supplied by the State. Practically this fact Las no
bearing uJon the question Because the State ID the
owner you would not have It let tbese grounds and
water to waste, And yet that is the principle in
yolved in the Ii you tax salt heavily that
We cannot make and eel II at profit, in competition
with other imported or domestic salt then we must
abandon the bueness and tho State oaes the revenue
il now collects. The State does more. IL represses its
own industry, while il exhibits an uuirsternal spirit
toward tho people Of other States Ii fsvors foreign
production at tho expense Of Our IL ssughters
The goose that lays IL golden eggs. The States that
patronzs our interesstha consume our salt-snpply
ug with the trade that gives value TO public works
builds up ourinteror cities and Is making Manhattan
Island the emporium OF North America Why should
we erudge them CHEAP eal. ia exchange for their pork
aud wheat Or why Pet up the false pretense that
We aIe not fairly paid for staple, when they pay
ne for Il III they afford, or We have 9ht TO ASK
ard will RESPECTFULLY decline 10 barter further wih us
when they perceive il disposition to grow eXtor-
But this il very iar from being the only view to be
taken OF the subject OnOndagTl salt forms the only
bulky article of return freight to the boats on our
canals North and Wet Of Syracuse, and TO vessels on
the lakes. The amount is large, being more than 4o9-
900 Of pounds In each Of the years preceding the
last IL is taken at low freights from Oswego and
Huhlo by the vesels that would otherwse go back at
an expcnse for ballast after dischargipg their cagoes
Of grain, to Cleveland Toledo, Detroit, Milwaukee,,
and Chcago. The salt shipments are OF immense con-
sequence and value 10 the lake marine Ia this respect
and tend largely no doubt 10 draw the commeice o,
tho West into our Canals and upon our rails toward
NewYork City. Instead, therefore, OF shackling the
production OF salt with oppressive and odous exactons
ibe State win promote lis interests by any policy that
shau contribute to the extension Of tho manufacture
and the consumption. Our salt manufacture has here
tofore been source of State PRIDE IL has been tho
marvel and envy Of other States. Why, then, should
we not nouIish and stimulate IL by every means
in our poweri True, every body at Albany seems
10 .ako a pleasure IN "girding" at US. We have
10 run the gauntlet Of The Legislature year by year.