Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-01-18

The TARIFF QUEsrIoK.-A memo
rial is IN circulation asking Congress
"before engaging in legislation 10 mOdi-
~ The tariff and the duties now imposed
upon imported articles-to carefully in
vestigate the conditions. prospects and
needs Of all the manufacturing interests
of this country and their relations to
each other The memorialists point
out the fact that since 1889 the tariff
has been altered more than fifty times.
thereby inhicling an incalculable
amount of damage bysthrowing trade
and manufacture out of adjustment"
The underlying purpose of the memo
rial Is TO induce Congress to extend its
sources Of information beyond and out
side Of those engaged in special aranu-
features, land who consequently desire
to perpetuate protective tariff,l and TO
ascertain how far the protection OF
few leading industries has affected in
juriously many others, and caused that
decline in our exports and in the ocean
CARRYING, trade in American vessels Of
which there is so much complaint. To
restore activity to all branches of trade
and business, ii is held by The memori-
alists that it is of primary importance
that all further attempt TO bolster up
manufactures by high protective duties
shall be abandoned and resort be had to
the simplest possible tariff FOR revenue
with the incidental protection that such
tariff would give. They suggest that
before the exhorItant taxes on quinine
and other chemicals are retained il
ought to be shown "that the privileges
thus granted 20 half dozen millionaires
are of greater moment than the rights
of forty-fve millions ofpeople." They
assert that the history ofprotection may
be read in the record OF bankruptcies,
for that "to protect one industry is to
put burden on other industries. For
example, the tariff table shows why the
great industry of clothing manufacture
does not flourish. The tax on clothing
wool is 81 per cent, dyes about 30 per
cent, lining silks so, velvet go, silk
thread 40, spool thread rs, alpaca lin
ing 20, linen 40, needles, Sc, % per
cent. and upward.
MARYLAND PENITENTIARY.-The re-
port of the president and directors Of
Maryland Penitentiary for the fiscal
year ended November 80, 1877. has
been made 70 Gov. Carroll, accompan-
led by the reports of Warden Wilkinson
and other officers of the institution
During the year 413 prisoners were re-
ceived, making total Of I, 179 inmates,
of whom 266 were discharged by expi-
ration Of sentence, 46 by pardon, and
20 died-leaving on hand S57 convicts.
OF the prisoners received during the
year 1872 are white males, 5 white fe-
males, 23S colored males, and 50 color
ed females. The average number OF
prisoners during the year was S15. and
the average number employed for con-
tract labor $50 Ofthe latter, 327 were
making shoes, 1855 on marble work, 10
on stoves, IL on baskets, Al on ready
made clothing. On State account. "a
were making cans, 6 shoemaking, II
tailoring, : BARRIERS, and the others in
various domestic and, otheremployments.
The receipts for 1877 were Ssl,91O 70
An increase Of Sc, 476 so over those
of 1876. The expenses were S69,el2 6S
giving surplus fund OF 1898 %.
There are 1876 conyicts between IL and
90 years of age, 297 can read and write;
SO can read; 473 can neither read nor
write, aud only 4have agood education.
Most Of the convicts are natives of the
United States only So being foreigners.
Under the contract made with the
United States authorities in October, As
many as AZ prisoners convicted 10 the
District of Columbia are now in the in
stitutIon. The warden argues from has
experience in favor OF the contract sys-
tenn of labor in the prison, showing that
IL the eonvicts were generally worked
on State account there would be large
yearly loss. In view Of the House OF
Correction being about to 90 into
operation, it is recommended that no
prisoners be sent 70 the pcnitentiary
the penalty for whose offences would
be imprisonment for less period than
two years. The management Of the
institution BY Warden Wilkinson and
his subordinases is highly commended.