The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-06-17

government gers no TcNcuuct Dut must Hhu
Il productive tax somewhere else and some
rich pauper iattcns on the piondcr thus
flched from the pockets of the people
Neither does it follow that the blanket
manufacturer enjoy profit OF S5OOo,OO0
which they would not otherwise obtain.
This, like other protective industry, IS far
from prosperous We have imposed taxes
on wool and on all the materials uSeu IN ,he
process, and on the food, fuel and clothing OF
the operative and thus consumed much OF
the profits IN the increased cost OF prOduc.
ton.
THE speaker here advertcd to the dread of
the "paupcr wages" of Europe in its supposed
effect on labor in tins country and the taIlacy
of the "home market" argument
MERITS OF THE NEW BILL.
The chief merits of the bill are slmp!tica-
ton of rates and reduction OF rates.
Simplitcation is obtained by sweeping a.
way the double duties and bringing the rates
to a strictly single, specific duty wherever
practicable. The invention OF double rates
OF duty Is a means OF hiding an enormous
tax under toggy complication, although IL
is sometimes insisted that wherever there Is
double duty, and a specific one on the
basis of value, the advalorem rate is neces.
sary to regulate and equalize the duty and
bring 1t nearer to an equitable rate. II such
is the object and It is necessity, why keep
a specific duty on the article? Why not make
it altogether ad valOrem, which will regulate
the equity Of the duty and simplify 1t as well
The treasury and the reputable merchants
demand specific duties, al vaiorem duties be-
ing OPEN to dispute and differentiation, re-
sulting in collision and fraud. The sweep.
ing away of double duties everywhere and
of dd cal0rem duties wherever practicable is
an imperative necessity, and single specific
rate where It is possible to calculate values
or classify articles very wholesome reform.
Yet il must be admitted that uniform rate
proportional to the value Of goods taxed is
the most equitable of all tariffs and should
be adopted whenever the standard of official
morality and accountability will justify it.
Until then we are obliged to diminish the
chances of undervaluations and fraud by
levying duties in specific form. Even now
there might be no difficulty in imposing ad-
Ual0rem duties If they are not too high; 1t Is
the high rates that make ii pay 10 cheat.
More revenue from lower rates, ireer com.
merce, large exports; these should be the
rules Large imports at low rates would give
ample revenue and would induce large cX-
ports, We cannot sell unless we buy, nor
buy unless we sell
The proposed reductions are believed to be
moderate and consistent. There still remains
an average duty of about 81 per cent. on cot
ton fabrics, about % per cent, on iron and
steel, and about 10 per cent on woollen IA
brics, These duties are high yet and intend
ed so to be, lest any radical reduction, when
rates so high have prevailed so long, might
seriously affect any of the great industrial in
terests of the country. The proposed rates
otl ,tol 70 tIa
various manufacturing industries, larger in
many instances than ever was had before the
present tariff; estimated upon present values,
quite as large as when the present duties
were imposed wherever they are specific.
And in the reductions Of duty on raw mate
rial and in the free list manufacturers find
additional advantage and encouragement
None better know than the manufacturer
that the present complicated and oppressive
high tariff cannot last; he knows, too, that a
change must come, and come speedily. II
has been the purpose to present in this meas
ure such change in 3 spirit OF fairness 10
all
DIFFERENCES IN REVENUE.
The reduction of rates results OF course in
a corresponding reduction of revenue unless
cheaper rates bring increased importation.
Increased importation, say the friends OF pro-
tective monopoly, increases the foreign bal
ances against US. This would be true, if the
ships which bring foreign goods returned
empty; not true, if they returned with the
cotton, corn and other products of our grain
field; not true, If commerce is an exchange
which, TO prevent its discontinuance, must be
profitable to both parties to It; will not be
true, until some means yet undiscovered shall
be devised by which we can shut other ma
tons out without shutting ourselves in.
Upon the basis of importatlons OF the last
fiscal year counting upon no Increased I'M
portation) the loss or reduction OF revenue
below that of last year from change of rates
to So, 1872, 45453. The loss of
amount less than half mlllion) received
from articles placed on free list is entire.
As 10 other articles which pay higher
rates, reduction of rates will increase impor-
tations and revenue. High rates are only
productive of revenue in prosperous times
when revenue is abundant from other sources.
To prove this it is only necessary to turn to
the reports of receipts of the few years last
past. Take, for example, the article of comb.
ing wool, as necessary to the life of woOllen
as is our daily bread to human
life When in lS12-73 prosperity and abun.
dance, real or apparent, was everywhere, and
the treasury was OvertiowIng, we received
s'1NOS'ONN'
wear hard times came along; the treasury
was depleted; we received from this wool
less than $620,UO0, one-eighth the amount and
under the same tariff.
II has already been shown how the Walker
tariff of 1916 which reduced the rates from
321s TO 25 per cent. (or one quarter, increas.
ed the revenue from thirty millions in 1915 to
sixty.fOur millions in 1856.
1t might be shown that when in 1872 con-
was most abundant the rates on
salt were reduced from IL TO cents; or more
than 100 per cent; the revenue tell off only
about % per cent. in 1874 when consumption
was restrained by financial oppression. 1t
might be shown, too, that many articles are
not imported, the duties on them being so
high as to be prohibiiory or nearly so. One
of these Is the article of blankets IN common
use, upon which the duty is % per cent. and
on which we receive only about $4,000.
When they shall be admitted at such rate as
to be sold at a profit the revenue must be
tcnfod.