Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-10-31
j. 3. Moore ON the Tariff.
BrndStreef's

The most comprehensive statement of
the tariE question in it's general bearings
to which the commission has yet listened
was that made by Mr.. j. S. Moore before
that body in New York. Mr.. Moore, as
an Introduction to his proposition for a
revision of the tariff, gave a review of
the legislation upon this subject in the
United States since 1889. This review
is written from the standpoint of those
usually designated as "free traders" in
Guiding all those opposed to the system
of protection and in favor of a tariff for
revenue. MIR. Moore defines his own posi-
ton clearly enough in his frequent com
mandatory references to the tariff plan
of Secretary Walker, and in his state
ment that the principal political issue of
the near future will be "protection pure
and simple, not against free trade, but
against the Walker tariff system of
1916"
Mr.. Moore remarks that the very fact
of the appointment of the commission TO
revise the tariff is the best proof that it
has become Oppressive and a scandal" +"
The question is whether the revision and
simpllfication which are demanded shall
be in the interest of protection. The pro.
tectionists claim high tariff, in many
instances amounting to prohibition. saws
Mr.. Moore, for the reasons that the in
dustries of the country are yet in their
infancy, that the home industries cannot
compete with the pauper labor of
Europe, and that home protection gives
employment to labor and prosperity to
the country. The first reason given
for sustaining the protective
policy is treated with great ridi-
cule by Mr.. Moore, VINO dismisses it
as preposterous in the light of the tre-
mendOus proportions of our manufacture
ing industry. Concerning the second
reason, Mr.. Moore admits that were the
competition between the industries of
the United States and those of Europe
simply question of hand labor this
country would find it hard to compete.
But, he contends, the fact is that mod
ern inventions of labor saving machinery
have neutraliZed this great bugbear of
pauper labor" He points out that in
the fiscal year ended June 80. 1882. the
United States exported $1S2 O15 600
worth of breadstuffs and $500, ,O00.-
600 worth of raw cotton. The
pauper labor of India, of Russia and
of Egypt competed against American
high priced labor, and was defeated. The
solution. he says, is simple enough. The
competition is not between the highest
price of labor and pauper wages, but be-
tween intelligence and skill on the one
hand and barbarIsm ON the other. In
regard to the third reason given for ad-
herence to the policy of protection, MIR.
Moore points out that in 1878, when the
system was securely settled, a panic
burst upon the country, the destructive
effects of which lasted six years. BE
recalls the fact that American labor in
that distressed period sought employ
ment in Europe, and concludes that it is
mistake to claim for protection any
other than depressing effect upon the
prosperity of the country.
In answer to the question, What do
tariff reformers demand? Mr.. Moore
answers: "First, reduction of tariff
taxes, and second, tariff simplification.
He reminds the commission that the ex-
cuse for the present high tariff was that
the necessities Of a great war made in
creased taxation imperative. But, he
asks, why should two of the most impor-
tant nec9ssaries of life-sugar and wooden
clOthing-pay a still higher tax after
seventeen years of peace than they paid
during the war. While earnestly in favor
of reduction of duties, Mr.. Moore con-
cedes, however, that the tariff reform
should be both moderate and gradual.
He urges simplifcation of the present
duties as far more important than either
large or small reductions. He stigmatizes
specific and compound duties as decep-
tions under which enormous taxes are
hidden. He states, for instance, that
under a compound duty on spool thread
tax of about rs per cent. is levied.
Mr.. Moore supplements his paper with
a table Of proposed reductions and a
free list In the latter he includes,
among others, raw wool, fax, iute,
hemp, breadstu1fs, seeds of all kinds.
salt, wax. paper pulp, hops, ores and
oils of various kinds The articles
which he recommends placing upon the
free list produced altogether $13,773
1873 10 of revenue in the year 1881. On
some of them the revenue was trifling in
the extreme. That on crude coal oil is
set down at 81, and that on cotton-seed
oil at Sc.