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

amounted to Sl14,oU, which IS over 90 per
cent.
On fencing wire fused by farmers) the du-
ty is &c per pound and Is per cent. ad Ualor-
EN-: This article used to be sold in Chicago
at 5a6c per pound. On finer wire it is much
higher duty.
On hay knives.the duty is now 46 per cent.
ad ualorem.
On files, which enter into every workshop,
the duty is &c per pound on all over 10 inches
long, and loo per pound on those under 10
inches long, with an additional 80 per cent.
dd odlOr1s, thus making an enormous differ
once over and above the compromise act" of
our dearly remembered president-Gen y ack-
son-which, you will recollect, was 20 per
cent. dd Ualorem.
On common German skates costing zoe per
pair, there is now duty of Sc per pair; this
article therefore is not imported at all under
such tariff.
And many other articles on which specific
duties are now imposed might be umerat-
ed, amounting to so or 100 per cent ad oalOr-
en-.
The tariff on general hardware at this time
is 35 per cent. payable in gold.
Now, why these high duties on goods,
amounting in many cases to prohibitio p
They are TO enrich a few favored manufac-
turers, nearly all OF whom, at least those in
the hardware business, have accumulated
large fortunes in q few years.
In 1888 almost ell articles in the hardware
line were imported; now, nearly everything
ID made in this country. Our manufacturers
are well of, and we'll established why then
keep up 80 high tariff for their special ben
eft? The effect of it is that almost the only
goods imported are of the fine class on which
the chief value is the workmanshlp-the me-
dunn qualities, such as are required By the
western consumers, are generally subject to
specific duties. instead of dd pGlOrem and the
| tariff in this respect acts unequally and IN
Justly.
At a subsequent meeting, Mr.. Hunt on
being called upon. spoke as follows:
| noticed, in the proceedings. of cor Sress,
! Jan. 18th, as reported in this morning. Chi
cago Tribune that Mr.. Sprague has presented
| q memorial of manufacturers of steel, iron
| and other articles, and stated that the I'm port
duty is so low as to operate against some
manufacturers, and asking remedy, or in
creased import duties.
| The tariff of March Sd, 1865, is, OF steel
valued at cents per pound, p centa per
| pound-nearly one third. Valued at cents
| per pound, and under Ii cents per pound, it
| is 3 cents per hundred, and 10 per cent. dd
| ral0reme. On iron to inches wide, it is / J
cents per pound, and at this day the general
selling price of the article in Pittsburgh is
/ st cents per pound. Duty is thus nearly
one third OF the Pitts burgh selling price. In
addition to this high duty there are protee-
tons to the American manufacturers 81 90
to 100 per cent. in the items of English ship
ping charges, marine freights, commissions,
marine insurance, and other such like items
of importation, This, however, is not all. -
| There is also the difference on all iorai IN
costs and charges, of the premium gold
say now about 40 per cent. If all .a, IN
favor OF American manufacturers, is not
enough, | would like TO know at once what
they require.
Under Gen, Jackson's compromise Gct'
20 per cent. Gd UqIOrega was thought 70 be
sufficient, and then there was only about 10
per cent. on foreign exchange, and no prem
ium on our gold.
If my recOllections of the incomes Of the
Pittsburgh iron masters, as reported in their
papers last year is correct, they paid AK
of 10 per cent. on their incomes, yarying rom
$780, 900 TO 5000 600. Did they make Gts
enough for ordinary business men @ NOS !
They are not likely to return 10 the C ec,cr
higher amount than they actually made,
and thereby pay more than the law required
on incomes.
should be glad to enlighten the farmer in
some measure on the indirect tax he pg to
the government.
You are uware there is a direct tax sa the
amount Of all sales. Thus q manufac- urer
n Pittsburgh sells keg of nails TO d ner-
chant in Chicago for $50 The manu-
facturer has to pay government 72c tax on
this keg. The merchant in Chicago sells
this same key to t. country store keepor for
IS, and has TO pay government SC aH the
same. The country store-keeper retail them
to the farmer at Zoe per pound, and aas TO
pay his tax of 10 cents on the key of 100
pounds. By this you will see our govern
ment derives 252c tax on the various sales of
single key of nails, and this over and above
what the manufacturer has to pay as a fuak-
er, whlch think Is per cent. SO it l. on
cottons, wooiens and other articles And
| thus the farmer and consumer in the west Is
paying an enormous indirect tax on all be
uses, and which the wealthy men of the east
are not subject to in proportion. Is the far
mer of the west allowed any bounty his
| exported produce to remunerate him for this?