New-York tribune., 1867-01-04

cOmpete I'M fOrrign marBcts Tor the 5H6 tVtH
crate percentage Of his products the expectation OF egr
cultural produce transmitted from It's crude cOndtl0h Wy
the labor Of American operatives won De plueiiGR %
leading feature In the commercial policy IN most 1I ne
European States ana N their annual Inahcii eardd nd
the extent Of exports Of manufaetuged articles legded
OF the most uneI1ng indications OF current Illa
cia prosperity. In the United States on the contrary tne
public in general regard this matter with feelings AKIN 10
ndifference while legislation made most frequently In
accordance with the persistent demands on special inter
ests tends not only 10 the destruction OF the orie pu
also OF the home market Two illustrations on TINS point
are most significant. Ten years ago the American manu-
iact9Ier supplied to conSiderfDe extent II hs tO o no
Mexican, Cuban, and South American marketsi to-day ne
supplies comparatively none Whyt Because tne d5dy
preyented Tue American from competing with the Foreign
rotb from SHG 20 ss se nep cent of the whole
wooen business Of the United States Is not proDa-
I ~ hsS not permitted the imporfatio Of broad
cloth woods, and the American agrcuursts have pro
successful establishment of the broadcoth industry
United States has created constant home demand for
"br0adcloth" wOos
MEASURE.
Let usnow consider how far the proposed Increase OF
the tariff so very generally demanded and given by the
House Bill No. 7ls will prove effective In renewing the
industry and stimulating te 10y extsnt to which an
increase OF the tariff Is likely to prove reneda Wis Iact
in the outset should be clearly Dore IN ino nor V no
annual production Of the nation, whether sueh taxes are
levied IN the form OF duty upon CIeg POS 6P tbe fS
form Of Internal tax upon domesc nress ~ sp1 be
crude manufactured forms row an lhcIehse Ot @ tne
tariff or to express the same thing In more exact Ian
giage an Increase Of taxation on imports especlay an
Increase as extensive az thnt given m 1ne y, G bJ prices
III this result does not In general follow, heh he emu
sought by those who ask for the increase In question
Lot u.s. however, consider the immediate and ultimate
effect upon the producer and consumer OF sueh an IN
crease In the Of leading article especially aIec'eu
by the tariff. ..-
The agcuturIsts OF certain sections Of the country
complain that owing to the high cost OF labor and com
mobiles they unable, as heretofore to raise wool at
remuneratiye prices. They accordingly ask OI an auu
tonal duty OF four cents per pound specific ana ten per
cent ad vaOrem on all mportaons OF unWhshtu Wo9ii
while the manufactures necessarily follows with De
mand for corresponding Increase IN thc rates OF 1u
upon the mpOrtaOns Of all manufactures OF Wool bOlh
parties expect to obtain, and doubtless VIII OBTAIN,
An Immediate increase Of price for their respective
commodities corresponding to the increase OF duties
imposed; which increase OF prices, ar VIII DC sno"h
hereafter, will tax the domestic consumer, supp9s-
ing the consumption OF wool ana wooiess IN @ lIe
future to be equivalent 70 that OF tne last nSc @ & y
to the extent Of s35O00OOO per annum over ana aDotS
what he pays-a sum equal 10 more tha one IOur'n
Of tho present annual Interest on the NaIlons % ae tho
creased cost Of wool and woolens under c0sderaoh,
both absolute necessaries will soon distribute lsSm
throughout the whole community, ana VIII ehenIuaaS5
manifest itself nnd reappear In the shape OF an increased
price for all other forms OF labor ana comn9aics ~ mus %
aggrayatng the very evil which In the outset ~ was IN
tended 20 remedy and necesstang further increase IN
the volume Of currency I'm order 10 facilitate eXchang
az higher level OF prices II now the repTeseh4tes Oh
the other producing interests come forward ana demand
in equity they certainly have Ight 10 40, tsst IN con
from the additional taxation Of SIS 100000 levied Tor e
benefit " the wOolgrowers and wool
creased duties be also levied for tnclr Delel eNi
dent that a compliance with this demand would leaye
prices relatively az before with the exception that tney
would brought st higher level and be rendered
even unstable and abnormal -.
Again let us apart from all other considerations next
inquire, whether AN Increase OF prices or 10 staIe e
question fairly, whether an opportunity, aitDcl
ally created % Immediately Increase production WIZ
give to the Manufacturer tho adVatage ne enpIs 70
obtain through increase OF the tariff We thlnk not
A. already shown there is an acknowledged scarcity Of
skilled" aud, TO certain extent of unsklled labor 10
the country. An increased production therefore neces
staes Increased demand FOR labor, which In accord
with the universal law or supply ana deaDd must
followed by increase Of wages, even the advance
OF prices which the increased production paseu u
not Itself compel the workmen 20 this course general
fore u short time neutnlze itself ana leaye the pro
Tint sch was the result following the great advance OF
the tariff 1854 Is almost the universal testimony re-
and T. Indirectly subsantated by the fact that notwith-
standing tho advance then given was regarded as ghy
the country although the taxes have since 1884, been
considerably decreased and an additional supply OF labor
able now urgent than over before Tor further
increase In the rates OF duty. -
AVERAGE RATES or DUTY UNDER EXISTING TARIFF.
The Commissioners would neK ask attention to the aver
rate Of duty & By the n BesT Saos ssT fod5 9 q
ported the United states during the fiscal year end
Ing 1896. This will appear from an examination
Of the following table to have been 4s.'s per cent
The total impOrtations were. s4JI oSs,seo
tS an i2S
Total free imports. 60l30,7S
Total dutlable goods S36s sos, ,05l
Amount Of duties received. ............ I9046,G}0
of duties TO dutiable imports ls per cent
Percentage OF duties to total imports 43l9 per cent
ON many OF the articles OF ordinary consumption the
rate duty imposed is considerably In excess OF the gen
erd average, as above given.
1t would seem that Increase OF duties carry
ing mp the rates average and special TO greater degree
than those now existing aud contributing thereby 10 an
increase OF prices must give 10 any tariff such elements
OF weakness As 20 render IL unstable thus exposing the
and producing Industry OF the country 10