New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-20

exports 10 France were made during the American
war when the value Of cotton goods was unusualiy
inflated. and when the duty amounted only 70 from
"a TO 10 per cent. With decline IN prices oaiho
decline in the consumption OF English BOous, IN
France and small has the trade now become that
IL erss only IN name, and the few houses wiSn al
this country attempt to maintain ~ can only 90 50
by narrowly watching the fluctuations OF the
respective markets or by limiting their operations TO
those fabric: to which tP me i foIownS gHres Will
Show the high rate at which the duties now stand.
and they also suggest the imprOpaDmty Oh any
future fluctuations IN the value VI COTTON,
position: Average duty on oil classes duIlng the
American war SAY cotton at 2s per b), about ~ per
cent Average duty at the same time on the sorts OF
goods most exported, about per cent Average duty
on all classes at o-days prices for goods about 10
per cent Average all sorts OF goods at the probable
future rungvalue say, cotton at 50. per ID about
On neF cent Average on sorts most exported at fu-
tnre ruling prices about II per cent. Ii is natural
that the exporter should select for shipment those
articles to which the duty is most favorable but
thus appears that, even on those sorts lie canhot
escape duty averaging about II per cent Next IN
objection to the high character of the tarln cOlnSs
the cratic and almost IneXplicabe appllcatl0h'
make this apparent, has only to refer 70 the aCt
that for purposes of taxation cotton faprlcs are
grouped IN three classes distinguished by the wlutn
and weight of the various cloths 1hese groups are
again subjected to subdivisions, distinguished py
the number of threads in the square men, making III
ALL for plain goods alone nine separate STANDARDS Oh
tariff, each of which must be labOrOnsy grOpeu OUT
by the custom house officers with measure, scales
and whaling glass. Such utterly lllogiCal melnOu
of fixing duties leads to the most absurd lnconslst
encies in their application and we thus nnu me IN
0eAuty of the exporter sHlat6dtO the utmost en- order 10
pass hes kghy-tdred fabrics under towT ctdSpCGHOn
than is assigned 10 them Ia fact the issue OF hB business
often depends The success or OTHERWISE OF hiS deCtP-
ton"
Il have printed so much of this letter serves to
show the influence and working of AID Valorem and
Specific duties respectively. The writer-who takes
throughout what may distinguish as the bagmans
view of the whole matter-of course, thinks low
Adj Valorem duty just what is wanted to restore the
markets of France to the looms of Manchester,
which. to his MUD, is the great end to DO achieved
He insists that there is little difference between the
cost of making Cotton fabrics in the two countries
harps the stupid prejudice of Frenchmen against
buying from England fabrics which they can easily
make at home, and makes out, to the satisfaction
doubtless of the owners of British spinning and
weaving machinery, that the French should be IN
duced TO abandon the treaty arrangement and sub
stitute for ii ten per cent Ad Vaorem duty; but
cannot CLEAN from his statement that any benefits
likely to result TO the French from adoption of his
policy wherefore, / conclude that it is not very
likely to prevail. Evidently, the French don't
see it,
The above illustrations suffice, judge, to eluci-
date the nature and radical differences Of the rval
modes Of imposing or estimating duties on lmpOIlS'
Ny own Judgment decidedly favors the making lby
means of Minimums where the end can no otherwise
he attained of every duty Specific, to the utmost
possible extent Unlike Mr.. Dillon, | consider the
fact that an importer has bought Tor made his goods
twenty per cent cheaper than another can buy Them
no reason whatever why he should pay twenty per
cent less duty on their importation. hold 1t re-
auirement of honest trade well honest industry
that one mans imports should pay the same as
anothers, and repel the suggestion that Specific
Duties bear heaviest on the poor, because they
purchase inferior goods. If it be the fact that
the poor buy poor goods, | hnd IN
that fact an explanation of their pOverty-a cause
as we'll as IA consequence. If they do not compre-
bend that thoroughly good fabrics are cheaper than
poor-that n poor maa's wife or daughter may wisely
prefer for her dress an excellent Bingham or DE
Lame 10 a flimsy, shabby Silk-their knowledge
should bs extended and their taste improved In
nv view, IT is weghty recommendation of Specific
Duties that they inevitably and strongly tend to
prerept the importation of inferior and worthless
goods by taxing them as high per yard or per pound
as the excellent wares and fabrics which they out
warGly resembling follow afar off and would fain be
mistaken for II the day shall be FASTENED by Spe-
cific Duties in which no one can afford TO import
any other than thoroughly good article of its kind
shall hail it as a foretaste of the Millennium.