, 1872-11-18

WELLS BUTLER.
We print the letter Of Mr. David 4. Wells
heretofore referred to in our columns, in reply
to some rather loose statements made by General
Butler on the subject..of Protection. Mr. Butler
disclalms any approval Of Protection as such,
but faVora ''incidental aid" to such manufacture
ers as may not be able to carry on their business
successfully otherwise. The furnishing Of I" in
cldental aid" by the levy Of tariff is 80 much
like Protection that an ordinary reader may fail
to understand the difference. Mr. Butler saw
this difficulty, and therefore selected two
articles to illustrate the beneicent results Of
incidental aid" as distinguished from pro-
tective duties. These articles are shoe-lastines
and bunting.
Ihe article OF shoe-lasting is one of the chief
materials entering into the manufacture Of yom-
ems shoeB. The manufacture OF these shoes
is the greatest single manufacturing interest in
the United States. Lasting is manufactured
IN Great Britain, France, Belgium, and in other
countr1es It is made Of wool, and is produced
in almost any place where woollen goods arc
manufactured. It Vas not made in the United
States until within a few years, when the tariff
was amended by the imposition of tax of so
per cent on lastings; this tax being laid to en-
able one establishment which had recently been
started, to do business at a profit. Opposed
to this tax WAS the capital and labor engaged in
the manufacture of shoes. It was tax upon
the raw material OF shoes. It increased the cost
OF producing shoes, reduced their sale, and added
nothing either to tho wages of the mechanic or
profit Of the manufacturer. Opposed to it
also we're the ten or fifteen millions Of women
and girls in the United States who had to nav
for these shoes. It was an arbitrary addition
to their price without any addition to their
quality. The whole world Was offering US
lasting or serge at prices profitable to the
producers, and which enabled us to produce
shoes at prices which gave. Us command
Of the shoe markets Of the world. With
this lasting our shoemakers not
only made all the shoes for this country, but ex-
ported their products to foreign countries The
incrase Of the tax to 80 per cent had the effect Of
80 increasing the cost Of producing American
made shoes that we have lost all the export
trade, and the home trade has fallen off largely.
because Of the decrease in consumption incident
to the increase Of price. One would naturally
incline to the opinion that it the object was to
afford incidental aid'' to homo manufactures.
and at the same time furnish tho people with
cheap Bhoes, the repeal OF all tax on lastings
would be the true measure. The manu-
facture Of shoea was as old as the Government:
our shoemakers had a worldwide fame,
and q trade which extended to all countries.
They asked no protection; they were able to
sell their goods in any market alongside those Of
other countries; but this act Of Congress. de-
signed to aid single company, added 30 largely
to the cost OF producing shoes, that the produc-
tion per capita, il 1871, is not equal to that OF
1860
General Butler justi6es this proceeding By
asserting that The price Of hastings has been re-
duced in consequence Of this tax; and to this |
assertion OF fact Nlr. Wells directs attention. I
BE shows that the price Of American laatings
is regulated by the producers, and in the main
follows the price Of the imported article, and to
the cost OF the latter is added the tax Of 80 |
per cent in gold. The duty on 1astinga
III 1861 ~as l9 Per cent and the price of the i'm
ported article Was 6714 cents, gold, per yard
Since 1860, tha price in Europe has fallen 10
Per cent, but the present price Of the same arti-
Gle IN the United States ia 81 per gard. This
ta1 Is levied to enable single company to sell
enelf goods at a profit; and for this purpose the
and the whole people are taxed.
The other article aelected by General Butler is
bunting, upon which, through his efforts, the
tax has been increased to 100 per cent. This
Tax on bunting, General Butler asserts, has had
The effect Of reducing the cost Of the article in
This country; but Mr. Wells, with the ine1orabla
cruelty Of facts, disproves this assertion. Bunt-
ng costs more now in Europe than it did at any
lme during the war; but even now
t can be sold, free OF duty in
he United States, for Is cents yard,
while General Buffers .min
4Auel Lne Tax OF izV per cent, lB able to command
Il cents per yard for the same article. Without
he tax which yields no revenue, bunting could
70 sold for one-half the present price. General
3utler disapproyes of Protection, and favors
ariff for revenue; but hecoupes with this hisidea
# afording ''incidental aid" to certain manu-
actures. Every vessel that floats upon the
cean and upon the lakes, and bears the Ameri-
an flag, carries at its masthead the striking
Illustration Of our tariff, that even the National
ag, before 1t can be unfurled, must pay q
pecial tax OF 120 per cent to Ben. Buffers mill.
GRANT AND CAMERON,
The most creditable act of President Grants
for which hia fnfa ro1:4;aa1 ~.