Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-10-26
maytd A. Wells on the Tariff.
TERMS or sUBsCKIPTIoH.

| NORWICH, Conn.,, Ojt. Zz-ho opeu iette[
ou the tariff, especially in it's relation to the
| manufacturing interes's of Connecticut, has
been addressed to Gou, rsi Joseph R. Hswley,
| member of Congress- by Mr.. David A. Wells.
The following is the caef part OF 1t
10. Hon. Joseph Il. Haa1ley, Mens6er Of
Congress:
My DEAR sIR-Io the report of your recent
f fod the following:
'rhe democrats bav BEEN trying to change
the tariff and If til y suoc ed | warn you that
il will be the heaviest b. Yer dealt at Auer'
icsn industries.
I, is hardly necessary for me to premise that
I do not agree with you in this assertion. Va
.he coutrary, believe hat there is at present
nothing which American i.dustry 80 much re-
uuires aud uothiog which viii 90 greatly tend to
imm sdiately prounto the prosperity OF Connec
1lcut industri aud her ol.,z os 10 particular as
this same change 10 the Existing tariff which
you SO greatly a"p'sO',.
The ex;stirg ar f Was framed substantially
10 1861, 10 meet the t1'gence, OF great war.
A large and Immediate resetue was required
and there was little time for the confederation
Of detsils As a const que1c the tariff OF 1861
which is essentially the tariff of to dsy)-ill de-
vised 10 mary respects at the outset-has be-
como, uuder che changed conditions of peace.
absurd, Inconsistent, obs ructlVe OF reVe-
nue and terribly destructive OF commerce
and OF many domestic industries which 1t Is
osteatatiousy claimed to promote. LIZ contained
smoog other tnings q whole system OF fsxes
imposed for no purpose except 10 offset the To-
serns revenue taxes, wDlc0 were at the same
time levied Cd almost every produot or comes
tic iodustrS. Bat ss thes, latter ts1ss. with
the exec p:ion Of thoss on spirits and t0Dscco,
have been swept away, and the tarin texas
naiptsined, it follows that We are DOW paying
war taxes 10 time Of peace, when all necessity
for the same has happily passed away and hen
the Treasury bas al snbual SURPLUS OF receipts
over exuendi'ures of near 500 600, 600. ln
opposiug any change 10 the tariff do not there
tore, see how you cau escape from the posl'lor
that unnecessary teX9s. which Increase the COS!
of everything that The people eat, drink and
wear, are such good and pleasant things 10
the mselyes that it is desirable to keep them up
dt6oitcly.
From multitude of examples which suggest
themselves take the following 10 illustration OF
the msnaer 10 which the existing tariff also
strsngles Connecticut Industries: 10 1868, IN
accordance with instructions from the govern
ment. prepared revision OF the tariff. AT
that zine was not resident OF Uonnect!cat,
but as I was proposing to make my future home
in Norwich looked about to see II 1 could not
in my official capacity legitimately do something
to promote the prosperity OF her people and also
Of the State Of Connecticut. l observed just
on the outskirts of the city two rolling mills. re-
manufacturing iron out OF old scrap. They we're
little centres of Industry, and their prosperity
| increased the prosperity Of the adjscant neigh
| borhood. locked further and saw that 10 alI
| parts Of the West Indes and South America.
| which Connecticut vessels frequent, there was
sbundaac, of old scrap iron. worth little beyond
| the cost of collection, because the heat OF toe
climate and the absence OF cheap cosl 10 these
! places p.eyont its utilization. And l said to
| myself, it. now, New Eoglsnd vessels csn bs
allowed to pick up this old material, pay tor 1t
| 10 dom sstic products and bring it home cheap
(ofteu ss bsllsst), but earning freight, instead
of haviog only TWO rolling mills for its manu-
facture we shall have them all along the river
and Souod; at Stonington, New London,
| Bridgeport New Haven. 30. l accordingly
proposed that old scrap iron should be made
| free, or not cbargestls at a greater rate than
three dollars per ton for revenue purposes
| The mare proposal vas, however, met wlsh
storm of indignation on the part OF the friends
of the existing tariff, especially such as lived 10
PENNSYLVANIA, who were unWllllog that Uon'
| neoticut should have any share 10 the business
of manut,c uring iron for the country; and un'
der their influence the duty on old scrap was
maintained at rate 80 high Isl per cent? IS to
render ita import practically impossible; while
the proponeut found himself denounced as an
enemy to American Industry, and as brbed
with British gold.
Mr.. Wells then calls attention to the existence
of excellent coal mines on the coast of Nova
Scotia, who's. cheap product would bs most use
full to the manufactories OF Connecticut II the
tariff did not restrict its importation. Of one OF
the chief of the useful metals he also says:
1 The business of copper producing is practical
" monopoly of few Lake Superior com
panies and they have tariff which 30 prevents
all foreign competition that during Inc year
1878 only one pound of unmanufactured copper
was i'm ported into the country, paying into the
treasury the enormous revenue OF i've cents
| Under the circumstances the copper monopollsse
fix their own prices to American manufactur rers;
and as they produce more than the country csr
con.u ne, they sell the balance to foreign manu-,
fsc,u.ers at 8 less price than they will sell 81
home. the e1p ports being under the stlpuiatlons
that th @ in OTIS shall be at once remeted in Eu.
rome in order to avoid restipment at profit
back az g.in to the Uuiled States. With this dis
criminotion against them in the cost OF thsil
ms, Il 'scturers to compete with their foresn
rivals IN the sale of their products 10 foreign
countries.
| think tsritf for revenue in respect to copper
| vonld he q most excellent thing or rather, as We
can sell rsw copper in dedsncs Of the compet
ton of the world, that there should be no duty
whs.eyer levied upon it's importation and thai
Connecticut copper manufacturers should be al
Ioved to have the benefit of thenstural resources
of their country and SO be able to manufacture
for all the world
h,.nkats They cannot afford 10 buy high priced
blankets. DIanke They need something cheap ane
warm. But, by the operation. of the existing
tariff, the price of the blankets is made far high.
er than there is any warrant for on sccount O.
can es be bought in Europe for 80 cents per pound
and on the port Ct such BLANKET. the sa auty Il
: 20 cents per pound and 70 per cent ad vaierem
q HOW much does this amount tor NO Ordinary
narunn c,o tell, and even experts cannot readily