Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-03-31
OUR BOSTON LETTER.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS OF THE MoN1ToR.l
Boston, March %, 1879.

ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS OF THE MoN1ToR.l
Boston, March %, 1879.
The matter which at present more In
terests our merchants, especially those
having business relations with Canada
and the British Maratime Provinces, is
the new tariff of the Dominion, which |
went into effect on the 18th inst. By |
this enactment, -four, wheat, corn and
meal, iron products, &c., which were
formerly on the free list, are now SUBJ
ject to duties ranging from 10 to 80 per
cent. dd valorem, while on many articles,
such as furniture and hardware, the for
mer duty of IL IL per cent. had been
advanced to from % to 80 per cent. The
trades that suffer most from the new tariff
are those of sugar, -four and hardware.
The former will suffer most, the new
tariff taxing graduated sugars l cent
per pound, and 80 per cent. od vatorem
being absolutely prohibitory. 1t is
thought that the result of the result of
the tariff in this industry will be the
revival of the Canadian refneries, which,
under the old tariff could not complete
with ours. AS matter of retaliation
differential duty in favor OF sugar i'm
ported in American bottoms from the
West Indies is now talked of. Nearly
all our imported raw sugars come in
Nova Scotia vessels from the West In
dies. They take out Dominion fish in
opposition to our fishermen, and for re-
turn cargo-they can get none to the
Dominion-bring our sugars and West
India fruits. A discrimination in favor
of American bottoms would mean higher
freights on Dominion fish, as there would
be no return cargoes. and this, together
with the assurance of return cargoes, it
is thought, would enable our fish mer-
chants to extend their West India trade.
We raised revenue of S37,0O0,000
last year upon sugar importations. and
when it is remembered that this tax
upon the people is levied to protect the
Louisiana sugar industry, which last
year did not reach Sl5,O0O,000, there
are those who say that it would be bet
ter to put the $37,OOO,Ooo upon some
of our important articles of luxury, pay
to the louisiana planters a bounty on
their sugar, as the French government
does to the raisers of beet sugar in
France, admit sugar free in American
bottoms, and then we could not only
supply Canada in spite of the new tar
if, but graduated sugar would be sold
in our markets at 5 cents pound. Can
ada has another weak place, and that is
her lumber interest. If Congress should
place prohibitory duty upon Canada
lumber-and why not help our lumber
ing interests in this way as we'll as our
sugar interests in the other Pit would
be heavy blow at one of the
most important interests of the
Dominion. Wheat and rye -four are
taxed at 80 cents, and corn meal 40
cents a barrel under the new tariff;
wheat 10 cents, and corn IL cents a
bushel. This keeps out flour meal; but
the Cnadian millers will have to use our
corn and wheat very largely. so that the
tax will fall upon their own people.
While in some branches of the iron
trade there is dullness and complaint,
in nearly every other kind of business
there is a growing activity. Cotton
mills in all the sections are in active
operation, and, with bare market be-
them, our cotton manufactures feel con-
fident that they are entering upon a
season of promising prosperity. Many
styles of goods are ordered far ahead of
the ability of the mills to produce. Our
foreign exports of cotton gOOds-notably
the South American and China-are on
the increase, and there is altogether a
healthy and buoyant feeling in the cot
ton trade. The woollen trade is not so
active. The capitalists who, during the
late hard times, boarded up their money
are now coming forward and investing
it literally, SO that there is no lack of
capital in any industry which promises
good return. The spring trade has.
owing to the fine weather of this month
opened actively, and promises to be
large, and consequently profitable.
Our lands, as we'll as our bodies, need
constant nutriment, or they will become
poor and impoverished and fail to yield
returns. Barnyard manures, even if
properly saved, (which is rarely the case
are at best but partial return to the
soil of those organic elements with which
it has parted in the yield of its vegeta.