Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-18
The South and the Tariff.

\ correspondent of the New York Her.
att, who has been visiting the chief indus
trial centres of the South is surprised to
fnd-what the Sun long ago asserted
that Southern capitalists in becoming
manufacturers remain too clear-headed TO
become prOtectiOnists. The fallacies of
protection are exposed in every textbook
used in the universities and COLLEGES of
the country, and the pOssessors of large
wealth in the South are still in the main
well acquainted with economic topics.
and little likely to wish to impose ON
themselves the suicidal policy of hiqh
tariff rates for the purpose of miscalled
protection" That the true sentiment of
that section faYOrs a large reduction
instead of the maintenance of the present
tariff rates is abundantly proved bv the
testimony brought by the HeraId's CORES
pOndent. South Carolina has cotton mills
counting about 10000 spindles. located
mainly at Graniteyille, Vaucluse and
Langley. The stock in them is held for
the most part in South Carolina and Geor-
gia. Mr.. IL. II. Hickman, President of the
company owning the mills at Vaucluse
ana GranlteYllle, on being questioned. de-
clared himself sin favor of an absolute
abolition of the tariff on cotton goods. were
that possible" His reason was simple and
conclusive: eve successfully comnate
with the English manufacturers in their
own markets-in China and Brazil. One
third Of our product is exported. Could
we buy our machinery at less cOst-which
we could of course do under lower tariff
and secure for the wages paid to our
employees the higher purchasing power
that would follow the abolition, or even
considerable modification of the entire list
of tariff duties, our goods might force the
English manufactures out of their own
markets. As 1t Is, we make a better class
OF goods at not greater cost than the
English mills" Mr.. Hickman's state
ment IS borne out by the fact that
the last report of the net profits
of the Graniteyille Mills hut
them at nearly &c per cent of
the capital Invested. Mr.. c. II. Phinizy.
PRESIDENT OF the Georgia Railroad. and
also oI the Augusta Cotton Mills. the
largest factory Of the kind in the South,
agrees with Mr.. Hickman that the cotton
factories of the South, as well as the pro-
ducers OF cotton, would be greatly bene-
fitted by the total abolition of all tariff du-
ties. Mr.. Charles Estes, President of the
board of trustees of the Augusta Water
Power Canal, and President Also of
company which is now building at Au-
gusta cotton mill at cost of 81, ,000, 900,
not only fayOrs "the abolition Of all
duties on cotton goods" but protests
that but for ''the additional cost of
100000 entailed by the tariff on
the purchase of our machinery we could
nave had that amount to put into addi-
tlOnal looms, or to add to our WORKING
capital" The same gentleman declares
the tariff "a positive clog upon the de-
VelOpment OF our cotton manufacturing
industries" Mayor COurtenaY, of Charles
ton, ;. c., who is largely interested in
cotton manufacture as well as iron, fayors
the largest mOdlhcation possible in the
tariff, and thinks the vote of his State
would be overwhelmingly against pro-
protection" General Phillips, who is
building railroad i'll Northeast Georgia
leading to iron and coal mines, though
himself in favor of protection, SAYS, The
fact Is, the cOttOn-grOwers of the South
need protection against protection
our protection policy having led to
the fostering of the East Indian cotton
crop by England. The cotton, corn and
grain interests of Georgia so vastly out
welgh IN Importance its mineral and rice
interests that our state must always be in
favor OF the utmost freedom of trade.U
Other North Georgia iron men are of onin-
ION that a reduction of the tariff On iron
would materially help them as eompeti-
tors of Pennsylvania iron men, Mr.. Hill
man, President of one of the largest pip
IRON manufacturing establishments at
birmingham, Ala, states that the avera 30
cost per ton at his furnace last year. in
cluding all charges, was $l2 43. ''The Penn
sylvania irOn-maSters declare that they
must blow aus their furnaces if the price
falls below $2l 90 per ton," the cost Of its
manufacture being estimated at from S1S
to SO per ton, Hence the easy argument
is made that the Alabama iron. With an
added freight charge of 81 or S. Der ton.
can to-day undersell PENNSYLVANIA iron.
much more would it do so if the Pennsvl,
yania manufacturers were no longer pro-
tected.