, 1874-06-12

THE TARIFF ON STEEL.
Ono must 60 away from homo to hoar the
home news. Wo find, in tho Econonatsto Fran-
Gals, tho fullest report OF tho discussion on tho
steol-tarifr before the Committee Of Ways aud
Means that has reaehod us. No American paper, |
to our knowledge, hns gvon 1t at such length. !
We have partly translated partly adapted, partly !
condensed tho report, and hayo ailed to 1t somo
facts mud comments Of our own.
Tho question before tho Committoc yyas,
whether the recent reduction OF 10 psr cent III
tho duties on stool should DO rotained or re-
voked, aud whothor tho dutlos should bo al ualo-
rem, as now, or specific. Both aidos wore heard.
Tho champions Of Protection wished tho duties
to bo put ut tho old figure and to be reokonod ad
ualorcnn. Before tho year 1860. they said, tho
possibility Of manufacturing stool in this coun-
try had not been proved. Since that yoar, and
especially since the increase In tho duties,
this industry las boon largely developed. Il is
represented by thirty-four Embellishments, ait
nated in nino States. They employ thousands Of
hands and uso Il capita1 Of mllliona OF dollars.
III 1878 they produced ~ 600 tons Of steel, 1900
Of which WAS OF tho best qunlity. During tho
2,1oO Of which wero Of tho highest grnde-wore
imported. Tho steol-makors argued that thoir
manufactures would be closod, tholr capital
made unproductivo, their employees thrown out
OF work, il tho tariff wora cut down-uay TINT
all this might happen (somo Of them declared It
would certainly happcn) II the thrift we're not
raised to it's old nguros* Thoy opposed tho
change from al ualorem to specific dutioB,--that
is from tax of certain percentage Of tho
value Of the imported article to 9 fixed tax
per ton on all valuos bocauso this would result
In raising tho duties on tile inferior grades Of
imported steel. These inferior grades are in
groat domand In Amcrlcs, especially for agricul-
tural implements. Therefore. they should not
tie heavily taxed. Moreover, only Il small nun-
ber Of tho ,1sors Of stool wished low duties upon
it. In support Of this last assertion. tl1oy pro-
duccd memorial signed by GOO manufacturers
and dealers In steo1.
Before skotching tho testimony OF the bo-
| lievors in revenue reform, 1t is worth while to
| review this argument Of tie high-tariR men.
Thoy argued TINT imported steel should bo
heavily taxed, because, while 1t has been 80
taxed, the Amorlcan- malo article has boen pro-
ducod in groat quantities. But tho coun try has
paid more for the Bame quantity than it would
have done had there boeu no Protection.
In this latter case, tho capital aud tho
labor that have been used III producing stool
would have produced tho goods that would haye
exchanged for tho steel. Tho money could havo
beon used tho men could havo been employed !;
aud we would have got our steol cheaper in tho
end. Wherein lies tho advantage, then, Of tue
high tariR7 THO industry 1t forced into uu-
boalthy life langulshes. SO we find ii to-daY.
At any moment tho men and money it employs
may lie inactive. Has it been WORTH our while to
pay high priceB for steel for long ycara III order
to bring our Btaol works under tho auctioneer's
hammer in the onu ? Moreover, try no mover sc
hard, We canuot maize tho aamo kind Of steel IL
tho English out Of American iron. SO wo rnay
levy tax on tax, and noyor escape tho necessity
Of using the foreign product.
1Iany heavy manufacturers appeared befor.
duties. Mr. D. D. Dana, Of Boston, said TIN
English steel WAS Indispensable. American
manufacturers must have It, Tho quality O
tue best stool made In this country was 10 poo
that the toolmakors could not uHe 1t and satiaf,
the home buyer, much loas the foreign market
Tho excessive price Of tho only quality that col
bo usod d,-made excessive by tho dutY,-p1ovout
tho expectation Of many articles With which th
United States onco supplied foreign countries
Mr.. George Barnes. Of Syracuse, who employs
! 500 hands and couaumoH. annually, 800 touH o
J steol, testified that bis customers mado him TIL
English Hteol. Ho could not retain their r'trad
If he did not. II ho could get his raw material
moro oheAp1y, that IL, II the ta1 o1
them were lowor, ho could unleraoll foroigI
manufacturers In their own markets.. Az 1t i
now, ho cannot. Mr.. ". II. Weed, of Cohoes
{ eorroboratel Mr. Barnes. 10 had tried A1neri
I can Ateo In his tool-manulaotory, and had beol
. forced to diecard It for English. Nino-tenths o
!, tho axcs used lu this country arc nude Q
, English steel. It wo could got Swedish iroI
ohoaply We could aforl to n1ai1e frst-ofaas stes
out Of it, but tho duties on 1t forbid our gottlnt
t 1t choaply. AIr. Henry Crosaman OF alaBsaollu
: sotts, makor of odgod tools, could conpeta viii
tho foreign manufactured II tho Hteel-tarln wer
4 low enough TO enable him To got his raw matorl
3 al at something like tho price they pa
l for theirs. Many other manufacturer
: testified In thls same strain. Mr. Charlo
: Converse, Of Norwich, Conn, deolaro
0 THAI II tho duties Oh stool woro cut down ., II
. Or IL per cent, Auofioan hre.ar1as. Which aro l
d hIgl fatos IN South Amsrlos, would hs aQuall