The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-07-22
Our Isoot md Shoe Tax.


States knows that pair of boots shoes costs at
least twice as much under the present republican
tariff it did during the low tariff period of the
democratic rule, Just previous to the war which
Ex-Conmissioner Wells characterizes as the most
prosperous epoch Of the country. The general
impression is that the enhanced cost of a neces-
sary article OF wear, is owing to the war and the
debt which it necessitated and that when man
pays two prices for pair Of shoes, one price goes
to pay his share of the national debt. A docu-
ment recently issued by nearly four hundred
boot and shoe manufacturing firms in Massachu-
fetts, which we reprint elsewhere. eifectually re-
flutes this erroneous impression by showing that
| for every dollar that the wearers OF boots and
shoes pay to the government, they pay over So
to certain protected" industries. That is to say
Of the $40 which a man pays for pair of fine
boots $ goes to the government, So.l4 goes into
the pockets of certain manufacturers of the ma
| terials of which the boots are made and $3.50
represents the real cost of the boots. which he
would get them tor If there was no tariff. On
every So pair OF boots bought by farmer or me-
chanic. the same proportion prevails, one-tenth
gong to the national treasury, fve-tenths 10 the
protected Interests, and four-tenths for the
actual cost of the boots. 1t will thus be seen
that our high tariff on hides, leather and find
ings, instead of protecting the great interest of
leather manufacture, really Expresses it, by dis
courasng the consumption of leather fabrics.
whatever measure of prosperity says the adj
dress Of the Massachusetts shoe manufacturers,
they have attained, has been in spite of an
adverse and depressing system of taxation, and
is due to the Intelligence, skill and industry Of
our people"
The tariff on leather amounts to % per cent
totally unnecessary tariff since Americans
have always enjoyed such advantages over other
people. in the manufacture of leather, as have
| enabled them to undersell all competitors. Our
leather makers, therefore, do not need the pro-
lection Of this great tax. The duties of silk aud
rubber webbing are 80 10 30 PEI cent respective
ly; and there but few manufactures Of
these fabrics in this country, the tax on them is
strictly a tariff for their benefit. The duties on
serges and hastings are - per cent There are
| but two manufactures Of these articles in this
country SO that the high tariff is for the advan.
| tage OF the owners of these two establishments,
| The aggregate taxes on all the materials Of the
shoe industry anonut anDally to sci 500, 900 of
| this sum only S3j00,000 is paid into the treas
ury, while Sl9,000,00O is paid for the protection
OF the comparatively few persons who make
| leather, webbing, lasting and serge. OF course,
American boot and shoe manufacturers, when
| compelled 10 pay these excessive taxes on the
materials they use, cannot compete in foreign
markets with those manufacturers who pay no
such taxes and it is not strange therefore, that
| the American made boots and shoes. that once
went to Canada South America and the West
| Indies, have been driven out of these markets by
the cheaper boots and shoes OF Europe--and this,
too, although new processes and improved ma
chinery have cheapened the cost Of king these
| articles % per cent. within the last ten years.
| Besides the tariff here mentioned on the mate
rial, used in shoemaking, there are the taxes on
| tools, machinery buildings translortation-and
| the taxes on all the commodities consumed by
workingmen-all of which go to increase the cos.
of boots and shoes. Under these circumstances,
the Massachusetts, manufacturer of boots and
shoes peti.ioa for removal OF all protective du.
ties ard the placing OF al industries on basis
where they would be compelled to rely on the
skill, genius and industry OF our people, and our
natural advantages, for their success without any
artificial props and supports. They declare that
this would greatly advance our industry, we
should then have the markets of the world in
which to sell our products, thus largely increas-
| ing the labor employed and the profits of manu-.
featuring. '-.H. Louis Republican,.