Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-07-12
NC, JULY 12, 1866. Z

general opinion, which foolishly holds that,
though we might do without manufacturers
for awhile, the whole wealth of the country
i would be lost II the railroads were de-
stroyed. ~ ..i." lI Fi1i
~ THE NEW TARIFF ON HARDWARE. i'L
M .... ....,.'a NEW YORK, July 2, 1866.
TO The Editors Of The Euening Post: g Lnr am
W The enormous rates of duty proposed to
be levied upon hardware and cutlery in
dictate a regard for special interests to the
entire sacrifice of revenue and great injury
of consumers. 1t might have been expect
ed that the protection of war tariff of
fifty per cent. on pocket cutlery, thirty-five
per cent. on table cutlery, an average of
: sixty-six per cent. on files, &C., on which
many domestic manufacturers have become
wealthy, would have satisfied them, and that
the country might now be allowed the re-
ceipts OF revenue from those which are i'm
ported. 200 5.' .D .NIf'i-. ..f .~Tr-t
But it is now proposed, by taxing the i'm
portation of pocket cutlery, costing under
So, with a. specific duty of IS cents per
dozen, and those costing So per dozen and
above, with $2per dozen, in addition to 90
per cent. Gd Ual0rem; to tax every childs
knife, costing Cd sterling, per dozen, or cuss
tom-house value II cents, with both rates
On every boys knife, which costs Is Sd, or
30 cents per dozen, the two duties will be
90 cents or 300 per cent; and on every
farmers knife, costing 3s, or ~ cents, the
tariff will be Sill, or l54 per cent; while
the duty on all pocket knives costing, Gus
tom-house value, ~ cents to $0.6S, will
average ~ per cent. .f"E g T..
In table cutlery a considerable quantity
is imported which costs 6s per gross, or
$1.44; the specific duty, as the clause passed
the House, is IL cents per dozen, or $l.44
per gross, with the 45 per cent. ad UdLorene
is $500, equal to 145 per cent. The table
cutlery extensively used throughout the
country, costing los or 1886 per gross, the
specific and dd Ualorem duty Is $3.lS, or 81
per cent. Ivory table knives, costing 6s per
dozen, or $l.44, are to bear specific duty
of 81 per dozen, and al UaL0rent 40 per cent,
together $780, or 1l5 per cent; and los
table knife, custom-house value, 50 az, with
both rates bears a duty of $500, equal to
SO per cent. Now, was it not reasonable
that the present tariff of 80 per cent. should
be sufficient, or could there not be modera-
tion enough to dispense with the specific
now proposed? 0H.
An English l2-inch flat bastard file, used
by nearly every mechanic, custom house
value 1920, with the proposed heavy speci-
fic of 50 per dozen, is taxed 81 per cent,
while German files, being of less cost, are
taxed on the average l4l per cent.
The proposed duty on German wrought
nails varies from l4l to 155 per cent; halt
er and dog chains, 81 per cent; coil chains,
ITO to 135 per cent; trace chains, 134 to 154
per cent; hooks and hinges, lS3 per cent;
on curry combs and padlocks, with specific
% cents, and ad valorem DO per cent; on
cheaper kinds costing from Is to 80 cents
per dozen, of which great quantities are
used, the tariff is 93 to lS4 per cent.lJr. fr
All these goods come into general use by
the bulk of the community, especially
among the poorer classes, many of whom
have not the means to pay high prices; thus
revenue will be sacrificed, and the pOpula.
tion generally injured. f.,.s I..a
Besides which, manufacture RS here have
the facilities for supplying only very
small portion of the demand, which of it
self will tend to high prices. Then, in ad-
ditlon to the direct specific and ad valorem
rates above named, theproposed tariff i'm
poses duty on casks, packages, commits
sions, &c, which of low-priced goods are
very heavy, reaching to 20 per cent. and
over on net cost of many goods; this Is an
addition to present tariff. H 1i Z
1t is submitted whether the provisions OF
this bill do not call for very grave conSid-
erations, and will it not be for the interest
of manufacturers themselves, as well as
that of the country at large, to adhere on
these goods to the present Gariff which Is
largely protective, rather than press these
prohibitive rates and provoke continual un-
settlement. as it is believed by many if these
enormous duties be passed they cannot be
permanent fHI aH oh.