Daily Republican., 1882-02-27

One the straEgest anomalies of tn
times is that OF Mr.. Swift, President O
the Swift, Courtney and Beechor Com
pany, more lately known as the Dia
mona State Match Company, appearing
before the Committee OF Ways ant
Means at Washington and protesting
against the abolition of the government
revenue STAMPS on boxes Of matches
In all other branches of home industry
business men are petitioning and have
petitioned Congress to remove a taz
which they consider onerous and CD
pressive. but strange as it may seem il
is an actual fact that here.is firm il
the city of Wilmington paying an i'm
mense revenue to the government, pro
testing against the removal of q tax
of one hundred per cent. on their man.
ufactures. This strange aspect of the
match industry has become the news
paper talk of the country, the phia
delphia Ledger, paper guarded, con.
servative and moderate in language,
alluding to it in this manner:
At first sight it seems rather re-
markable that manufacturer should
go to Washington to plead against the
removal of tax on his manufactures,
which is what a representative of the
match industry has been doing. But it
should be remembered that the imposi
ton of the tax and the increased capi.
tai therefore required for entering the
business, coupled with the fact hat the
consumer, not the manufacturer, ulti-
mately pays the tax, puts tho manutac-
turer already well established in a
better position as regards rivals than he
would occupy if the cost of starting
small competitive factories should be
reduced. 10 say that the abolition OF
the tax on matches would ruin the in
dustry in this country is ridiculous. III
might lead to the establishment of more
factories, and thus interfere with the
business of some already established
but we must have matches, and the re-
moval OF an internal revenue tax on
them will certainly not lead to their
importation from foreign countries "
The Diamond State Match Company
is Wilmington institution, which
gives employment to large number oil
hands, especially girls, and if we were
governed by selfish motives we tool
might be excused if we were to OPPOSE the
abolition of the match tax on the ground |
that 1t WonId open up competition in |
the manufacture of matches and lessen
the business done in this city, but when
this government tax of one hundred ]
per cent. OF the value of the article
manufactured is paid by the consumersl
AID none apparently by The manufactur
er,Ne begin to doubt the wisdom of such
tax even though the manufacturers
may present the strange spectacle of
protesting against the removal If fbki
principal item Of cost In a manutac.
tured article which Is necessity and
not a luxury, and which is used in
every family in the nation. The man
ufacturers being our citizens, OH
neighbors and our friends respected by
all, might be the basis of another ex.
cuse Tor making no reference to this
matter but there are $4,000 other cit'-
Zens who occupy the same relation to
us, to say nothing of the other 10000,
QUO OF people in the United States, all
OF whom are compelled to pay one hui
dred per cent. more for their matches
than they would pay if the government
tax were removed, and this must bel
our apology for taking the side Of the
people. l. viii no doubt be asked why
other capitalists do not embark in tine
business IT manufacturing matches, anal
thereby create competition in thel
business.
THIS question is pertinent and to the
point, aud requires an answer, though
we are not sure that we are able to an
swer It IN satisfactory manner.
"A box Of aatches costing two cents,
one cent Of course goes for the govern
ment stamp. Az the box contains a
hundred matches, enclosed in a
paper box with the usual sanded end
Tor lighting tie matches, it can hardly I
De expected that there can be much of
a marsl Of profit left which would be {
encouraging /" those who night con- Z
template entering irr0 competition tpl
manufacturing matches. IL is no. here a
t ha' we must look tor the profit in the u
business Where then is it It is.
sa'n t. be in the government .tamp, J
which Mr.. Swift pleaded 50 elnQMently
before the committee Of Ways and
Means to hay" retained.
Our linguistic. ar-re is not vet sat-
iSHcd, and wa Ia ~ know if n cent?
revenue stamp aLof cent stamp al! ;,
over the United S'r',s, and inqnisitive .
~ persists in asking where The pr0ftl -
can he in rIa2ia1 Il cent stamp npon :,
boxes Of matches that rDs' a rrnto mi
anSw"r 10 this, "" word s'atc trat mI
certain sense the m&rufat,urpr. arm "
made collectors Of iutrrra al revenue
and when tu"y buy FROM $50 IT, $5OO|e
worth # stamp- 'hcy ar. a. owed five
per cent, 'n. There aIn bat few small "
manufacturers Wha "au purchase over
500 worth Of Aluule al 81 TINA