, 1874-02-03

too much Of 1t ! and, II 1t should happon to cut
tho edgo"tool fraternity In ono place, 1t cuts
other pcop1o moro Hoyeroly in other placca.
We find. howcver, that tho manufacturers OF
edge tools, cvcna aftcr paying tiis oxcoBsvo duty,
arc hblo to compete with the foreign nanufno-
turors Of tho samc claBs OF goods, and aro CT
porting several millions OF dollars worth Of thoir
goods to foreign countries. Now, aa thoro Is ITO
foreign compotitlon In edgo tooB In this country,
tho American goods being sold for loas than tho
European, Why should tho protective duty on
edge toola 10 retained any more THAI on tho
steel tseif2 It is arguod and truly that, II tho
duty on raw stool woro roducod ono.half, tito
DO Increased and tho exports grently
enlarged. For tho aamo reason, If tho
unnecessary aud injudicious duty OH manu-
faotured atoel goods wore also reduced
tho consumption would DO still creator. tho busi-
noBB Of manufacturing would be incroaaot, tho
rovenuo would DO enlarged, md tho country
generally bo bonohtod. We agree that tho dutios
on steel aro outrageous, md ought to bo ropoal-
cd for the relief Of tho cdge-tool manufacturer
and all others but wo insist that tho duty on
tho manufactured goods. boing no longor nocos
Hary for protection, should also DO repoalcd.
Suppose the New England tool-nlakors, aud othor
manufacturers Of atoo1 goods amend thoir poti-
tfon, md aAk Congress to reduce tho duties OIL
steel and steel manufactures to MI uniform rato,
not to exceed Is per cont Of the import value.
5,o1
Of people who arc taxed enormously upon every
form Of goods of Which steel Is compon-
ont part. Having mastered tho atcel business,
and discovered that the protection now provided
for that interest is shoor robbery, they will, per-
hapB, DO ablo to understand that tho duties Oh
iron arc open to the samo objection. It tho
edge-tool manufacturers find that they aro
"taxed or cents On every pound Of Btoel they
| use, to support Pennsylvania" they will discover
| tint thero arc many millions Of people in tho
country WHO aro ~ intanously taxed on oil tho
| iron they uso in its countloss forms. Having
| thus relieved tho cotton aud woolen rnanufao-
turors Of tho taxes On their machinery aud tools,
and on the iron and steel they ueo, they will dis-
cover that tho duties on raw wool nro part md
parcel Of the Ban1o plundoring syatom and that,
| compared with The monopoly cnjoyoa by tie
stool-makors of Pennsylvania, tho unnecessary
and injudicouB" protection afforded to
| the manufacturer OF cotton hnd woolen
goods is q burden Of much greater mug
nftude. Without having tho exact figures
before US, We suggest that the tax paid Oh the
iron made into horseshoeB will III the aggregate
fur exceed tho ta1 paid on all the steel used By
tho odgo-tool makers. Whilo wo agreo with the
| odge-tool manufacturers in declaring the present
tax On steel outrageous and TINT it ought to bt
reduced, We suggest that there aro othcr people
| in tho United States beside the edge-tool manu
faoturers, aud thst these other people desire no
ouly cheaper steel, but cheaper tools, chsapo
iron, aud cheaper woolcn and cotton cloth, aut
have the Hame right to consideration by Congress