, 1878-02-23
Stealing a March on Newspapers.

Every newspaper publisher in the land
should denOunce the new tariff bill for the
| attempt made In the interest of few type
| founders to fix snch high duty on imported
| type as to exclude it from use IN the United
States. The San Francisco Bulletin puts the
case in The mildest manner possible rs follows
The new tariff bill fixes the duty on news
| and book type at Is cents per pound, which
is from 40 to so per cent. ad valorem. The
rate on Job and fancy type is 30 cents per
pound, which is from so to 100 per cent ad
valorem. The annual duties collected under
the present rates did not exceed $4,000
Under the rates now proposed, the duties
would probably be prohibitory, a result
which could only be desirable to the proprie-
tors of the dozen type foundries the United
States There are 20, 900 printing offices IN
this country, which employ not less than
l2O, 600 men, against the 200 employed in a
dozen type foundries. There is some COM
petition at present on the part of the Scotch
type founders, who pay duties on their i'm
ports ard sell a better article at the same
prices as American type Is sold. The type
foundries in this country have been doing
well under the old tariff. 1t is quite evident
that they do not need any additional protec-
ton 4 tariff which cuts off revenue IS not
desirable The present tariff puts about
$50 600 year in the public treasury from
is far more desirable than prohibitory tariff.
The latter, while it would cut off revenue,
would have the effect to increase further the
price OF type IN this country, because all
foreign competition would be shut out. The
20O00 printing offices in the United States
have considerable interest IN the question.
No doubt the type foundnes would gam an
important point by a prohibtory tariff. But
would this private gain he of real benefit to
the country?
The Builetm is too cautious. 1t should
have said: Shall this scheme for private
gain rob the whole country of the privilege
of buying the best type III the world at a
reasonable price and compel all publishers of
books and newspapers to buy an inferior
AmeIcan type at mach higher figure, 1t
Is simply an outrage upen the country to pro-
pose it. Well may the Bulletin say: ''No
doubt the type foundries [of the United
States, dozen in number, would gam an
important point by a prohIbltory tariff.
The Scotch type is conceded to be the best
by great odds to be found In the market, and
yet it is sold at so fair price that the book
and newspaper publishers are substituting it
for the inferior American type now in gener-
al use, Just as fast as they can, and so large
are the sales that the importers pay about
$50, 600 annually into the public treasury as
duty on their importations. The proposed
tariff is a job. II is put up by the American
type founders. We presume Painter & Co
are engineering it. Then, do the publishers
of the Pacific coast want to fall into the
hands of Painter & Co.. Who among them
has not had ex"erience enough with this firm
already. Pass this tariff bill and it will be
worse than it ever has been before. Let this
big job die still born. Let every publisher
on the coast contribute his mite to lay 1t
peacefully 20 sleep under the daisies.-Oak-
tend Times.