The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-01-19

fishers of the New York and metropolitan
papers can make their advertisers pay the
continual advance in the price of printing
paper, while publishers of country papers
have no resource but to increase the rate OF
subscription The result is that all our
smaller newspapers are in danger of being
swallowed up By their large city rivals. How
long will congress sanction this evil?
The Protective Tarif--Forcibie Presenta-
ton of its Hardship.
At the meeting in Chicago, to organize a
fee trade league, Mr.. Edwin Hunt made the
following interesting statement of the effects
of Il protective tariff on the hardware trade
In or about the year 1885, one great COM
plant made by the southerners in their then
agitation for notification, was the excessive
high protective duties imposed upon import
ed goods for the protection and benefit of
northern manufacturers.
Gen Andrew jackson was ut that time the
president of the United States, and found it
necessary and expedient to pass, and strong
Iy recommendment, the then called "Compro
mise Act, "by which the duties on all foreign
goods were TO be gradually reduced to 20 per
cent ad UGl0rem.
This law, however, was only in operation q
very few months, when certain interested
manufacturers obtained the passage of amend
ments imposing specific duties on certain ar
ticles, which amounted to from so TO 200 per
cent Gd cGI0rens, and at the same time the
general tariff on hardwas was advanced to 80
per cent. The matter of tariff was agitated
and Senator Rhets, of South Carolina, George
McDuffie, Dixon Ell. Lewis, and other south
ern members, succeeded IN getting some re-
duction of it.
Higer rates since that time have been at
various periods established. To illustrate
this, will mention a simple article, which,
although Of small account to individuals yet In
the aggregate, amounts to large tax on the
western community, and the manufacture of
which is probably at this time of the
greatest monopolies III the world. 1t Is the
article of wood screws, which are used in every
building and by every mechanic.
/ will state a fact. My last Importation of
casks in May, 1864 costing only Gl36 IS Sd
in England, and at par S605, 50-was charg
ed with q duty of &c e ID weight on the 2
inch, and larger, and 81 D 10 on the sizes I'M
der two inches-thus making a total duty OF
S479. 55, payable in gold, this being over 10
per cent. ad Uaiorens, and by tins new law
(passed in one day., of April 20, 1864, there
was added TO this 90 per cent. on such duty.
Of course had to enter them fer exporta
ton, and send them to Montreal for sale
The Unitad States thus lost ali duties on this
lot and only made some three or four dollars
for stamps on the warehousing papers. permits
to export, go. This is but email exemplifi
cation Of high tariffs.
The tariff under the act of March 3, 1865,
Is now SC per pound on wood screws OF inch
lengths and over, and lie per pound on
screws under 2 inch long-shls would make
the duty on the lot mentioned $500 ,25, or
over 80 per cent. ad Ualorem-all pay able in
gold.
You may esk, wherefore, this excessive du-
ty on wood screws? l answer,it is to support
an enormous monopoly, whose shareholders,
/ understand are in our houses of legislation,
and thus enabling the American Screw Com
pany to pay from ten to twenty-five per cent
monthly dividends, and, have been inform
ed. even higher than these This monopoly
the company have enjoyed for about twenty
years, prior to which time ! have often paid
over $40, 900 per year for duties on this arti-
Gle alone, but have been compelled to cease
importing wood screws, except when the
American Screw Company had so many or
ders on hand that they could not take mine
for execution under five or six months.
AS further illustration of their extraor.
binary profits, l will state that about fifteen
or eighteen years ago, this same company un-
dertook to undersell the English manufactur-
ers IN the Canadian markets, and then thew
allowed ut my recollection of the facts are
correct,) a discount from their regular list or
card of prices of 80 per cent. to Canadian
dealers, while at the same time they would
only take 10 per cent. discount off to their
customers in the United States. On my ask
ng one OF the Messrs Angels( these MessrsAn-
gels are principal managers and large stock
holders why this difference in discount, and
whether they would not allow us and their GUS
TONERS IN the United States the same discount,
his reply was merely, I'VE do not find It nee
essary to do So" Certainly it was not IL they
can lobby around in our Legislature aho ss'
prohlbitory duties imposed TO ena pic 'heah 70
charge any price they choose TO oemano
further inquired whether they mace any
profit when selling to Canada at 80 per cent.
discount, the reply was. Yes, ana d Jar one
too"
tried to buy these same screws through
{ friend in the hardware business in Montre-
al, intending to get them IND ported INTO that
citv. and then export them to New York, and
thus obtain the draw-ba ok, but found the
Messrs Angels were too bright to allow this
to bs effected. as they invariably took the pre-
caution of entering their goods In their own
names and paying the Canadian duties ,charg-
ing the same to their ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Iy. there was no way by which my object
could be effected.
The duties on q recent lot of eight casks of