Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-12-27
CHEAP QUHNrNE.
Thanks 10 Mckenzie.
washington Post

A reporter for the Post called
yesterday morning on Hon. J. A
Mckenzie, of Kentucky, to ascer
tain what had been the practical
operations OF his measure to take
the duty off of quinine, which was
passed at the extra session. In an
sWer to an Inquiry of that character,
Mr.. Mckenzie said:
''It has worked like a charm. 1t
has already resulted in saving hun
dredS of thousands of dollars to the
consumers, and will eventuate in a
clear saving of over million per
annum."
! 'There was a sharp advance in
the price soon after the passage of
| the bill. How do you account for
that ?''
ut was to be expected from the
fact that Messrs. Powers & Weight
man and ROsengarten d Sons con-
trolled nearly the whole stock in
the country, and could practically
dictate what it would sell for until
foreign quinine could be brought
into competition with the American
] product. These gentlemen were
I probably playing football with the
| price as matter of amusement, but
i they will doubtless get tired of it
before the American Congress con-
sents to restore the duty They an
I neunced, as | understand, that they
/ would be compelled to suspend
manufacture of the drug, but have
since thought better OF their de-
! termination aud are at work again"
"What has been the amount of
decline?'
81 find from the Druggists Circu-
lar and the Chemical Gazette that
in July, 1879, date of the passage Of
the bill, the price of sulphate of
quinine was SO 45 to So 55, and the
sulphate of cinchonidia 81 80 to 81 35
per ounce. Now from the same
circular, of date December, 1879,
the price of sulphate of quininc was
81 so TO 81 80, and l am informed
by reliable firm of druggists in
this city that they have a circular
from Powers & Weightman, re-
ceived within the past few days,
offering to sell the sulphate of qui-
nine at 81 50 per ounce. This De-
cember circular also quotes sulphate
of cinchonidia at 81 10 to 81 10 per
ounce. Thus we see that there has
been clear reduction of ninety
cents per ounce on quinine and
twenty-five cents per ounce on Gin
chonidia, and this, too, during the
sickliest season of the year. The |
aInonnt of the higher priced sui
phate consumed annually in this !
country is estimated at from 200 |
900 to 100000 ounces. So that, {
taking the smaller amount, the /
clear gain to the consumer is over
81, 900, 900 per annum."
"What quantity of quinine was
imported into the United States for |
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1879. |
and what amount has been imported |
since the passage of your bill?'
tThe quantity for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1879, 22S, ,248 ounces,
and the impOrtations from July I
to September 80, 1879, were 1855
ounces, or nearly one-half as much
in three months as was imported
during the whole year prior to the
passage of the bill" !"
''Are there any duties levied now
upon any of the barks from which
quinine is made?"
Dy CONSULTING 44C.yl OIiilCu
States Import Duties for 1879 | find
that Calysaa cinchona, Lima, Peru
vian, and, in fact, all medicinal
barkS, are admitted free of duty.
There is, however, differential or
discriminating duty of ten per cent.
upon all medicinal barks shipped
from east of the Cape of Good Hope,
Dut no revenues have been derived
from differential duties on any of
the barks from which quinine is
made for the past five years, with
the exception of $92 80 in 1878, and
$15,9 1858 in 1879, which pittance could
not materially affect the price of the
drug. The fact that since the pas
sage of my bill Messrs. Powers,
Weightman & Co. have paid their
duty, $I5,95S, on barks shipped
from ports east of the Cape of Good
Hope, proves that, so far from stop
ping their manufacturing opera
tions, they can afford to pay (for {
they have paid every cent of it, 4
their duty, lose the twenty per cent.
gained by protection, compete with
French and English manufacturers
and sell quinine ninety cents per
ounce cheaper than before the pas
sage of the BILL"
us this differential duty levied {
when barks are shipped from port
east of the Cape direct to this cOun-
try ?''
mo; it is only collected when re-
shipped from a European port. If
it comes direct it is free"
"The success of this bill might be
as, an argument in favor
of free trade, might it not?"
81 sincerely think sO.> / am in
favor of revenue tariff only, and,
as | have no hope of the passage of
a general reform bill, l am for at
the protective system in
detail"
"Do you think any effort will be
made to restore the duty on qui-
nine ?'
81 think not; but if so, the bill
should be styled, can act for the
of malariaI feVers ~