New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-31
AIR HEWITT ON THE TARIFF
-, OPPOSES THE COMMISSION IDEA.

r.I TRANSITION uRGED-MoSoroLIEs TO BE
AVOIDED.
,.u,xsroN. March 30.-In the House OF
erreseutntivcs this afternoon, NJ the conclusion OF
epeerh by Mr. Dunnen. Of Michigan on tho iarin Oon
,.,..,ec hin Mr. Hewitt Of SewYork spoke At length IN
,,,, a, ,he I'M He sent 90 TIE Clerks desk reso-
nton which he said proper time after discussion
10 closed he proposed to offer The Clerk read as ior
lows.
p.oircd Tha, the hsl creating Tariff Commission be
wsy. and Means TO report within thirty DAYS an ear
her dsie he praetica0e, bill based upon the toio"
tirsL That an raw materials meaning thereby al ma,
anasacinre and ali waste products meaning thereby
al waste materials which are OF only 20 ne nnn ne
country and alcohol for use IN manntac'ures shah w
SECOND Tss. SO far as possible specific duties shall he
substituted for al valorem duties and mat M Ge Y
~ ,nsor;s during Inc lat three wears sha be taken
the standard Of value which no higher rate OF nuy
So The difference in the coat Of the labor at home and
shrcad expended in the production Of such products
por;aticn and that the rate duty shall any case
excep Injuries exceed 30 per cent Of such average
dutiable valne.
Mr. Hewitt spoke, IN part. as follows
am opposed 10 the bin creating tarh commission
for the s1 iSs prS s p SoSs condition 6as
ness. We now prosperous, but our prosperity VIII
Sai fof our our PRODUCES At present we Rave
foreign market chiefly for raw materelssuch "a food
prodnets cotton petroleum ana tobacco For our man
fsciurcd products the markets OF The word are paet
oslls closed against disclosed because II Is 70
sell goods M the open markets OF the world " com
petition with other manufacturing nations Inc rasoh
Of this mainly, that our tarid legislation has erected
artificial barriers the free introduction OF raw aer-
ais aud ~ the imposition OF unwse taxes we are hand
capped at the outset in the commercial race These
obsrucuons cannot be removed too soon They are wei
known end can be snuneraed without We a
wool. which is the foundation OF vast Industry
IRON which lie Of The base Of the great iron and steel in
eustry copper alcohol and oils and numer
try cannot exist Having thus crea artificial sys
ten nd it impossible to compete with Great Britain
the finn and natural basis free raw materials This
efec, IN our revenue system n eo s t 9 omee on
Ways and Means could then take as much Tine a. mSnt
voved In tie reconstruction of tariff COVERING 1000
articles Unies remedy DC speedy afRned ,ns ID ID
products for which 1t can find no market There is
limit to the amount Of fs0d s wSh to we upS sSD
that Europe cannot raise food IN competition with
Sdss 80 much s revs Of as the
amount of rent which can DO collected rom tne farmer
Therefore purely question of rent Foreign farms will
not be abandoned but the rents VIII be reduced ana inc
are likely 70 have more restricted markets, Nations T
Of rent and taxes which II VIII not bear.
To the careful observer of our commercial position
/ That the business of the country very prosperous
The rate Of wages paid for labor Is higher than in
Thai We have the highest tariff OF duties imposed by
Prom these facts some people infer on the principle
post hoe propter hoe that our prosperity and our ability
nue. duties external well Us internal Bat from 1873
l. An era Of very great depression and stagnaton in
2 A period when employment hard to get and
3 The same high tariff as we now have.
hoe Il might be contended that the high duties produced
ard the low wages Which then Prevsd Neither node
q sSanG The only Logical f9ne con, d from
sion then and the prosperity row, The low wages then
and the high were not produced by the
me system in which no changes whatever have been
made but by causes which must be searched for else
possible Congress deal ntegcntly with tho work
ofreyenue reform. which public opinion requires II 10
undertake
LEGISLATION CANNOT FIX THE RATE OF WAGES.
fundamental proposition assert that legislation
cannot value determine the rate Of wages.
There Of wealth in any country except that
which s derived from the soil by the application Of
labor, machinery and capital II is not possible by any
conrvance, by any amount Of abstract thought
by any schemes OF esiso 10 add TO tie natural re
the coil and in the rain aud sunshine that fuctfy IT,
Capital only support the labor which necessary to
be used 10 economic the amount Of labor bestowed with
labor and skil sufficient for the cultivation Of the soil,
the economy OF production will be proportional 10 the
amount Of capital and machinery employed In its Guilt
walton In the abserce OF any legislation the work OF
production will proceed In natural channel and al that
legislation can by any possibility 90 VIA DC 10 divert
have taken under natural laws feel it necessary 10
IL,
thst there potency Ia legislation which can add
great many of the propositions which made in regard
% money a. wen as Industry Ii is % key 70 the dat
which Is made b. those who adyocat. rotectoa for the
sake OF protection But II legislation cannot create
value, II prevent the growth OF wealth by nisdrect
ing industry into Improbable channels and 10y dervng
of the profit which is realized when exchange the
products o. our labor pT0Pef apn oe tor S s
pendiure OF labor than Is necessity to produce these
commodities al home In Other ~oI1s, tHe pIontS OF ie
gitirnate commerce may be altogether or partially de-
terchange Of commodities.
do not believe In the efficacy OF taxation N any lon as
aid TO the development of industry II We could els
pense with taxation altogether II must DC evident that
the producers Of this cOunry would nave more 10 spend
and the would get more for the money which
possibc effect o. taxes imposed upon for IGN commodities
must he to aer the dir ction or distr6non OF human
must 60 back 10 the Orlgln OF the government
In order 70 secure sufficient revenue, duties
ports were selected upon which the duty !
70 price article aud hence this article
raised ar,ifciay in price labor directed 10 NE Prod1e
production OF the uItaxed misunderstanding always that
fne LABOR ana Sa IN es SnT e Seg M y
tective labor devoted TO the production Of the
diversion the unprotected channels Of business into
the protected channels, until an equilibrium Is produced
between the wages paid In both divisions OF production
WAGES FIXED BY FREE TRADE. |
The exchanges made between these divisions very |
soon ADJUST themselves upon a standard OF
wages, that labor and capital equally rewarded
whether employed In the protected or the unprotected
branches Of business This proposition lie true Of coun
try which has surplus products to export and III such
county the tax levied upon foreign imports distributes
t,sef equally among the whole OF the consumers
Bun whenever there a great surplus O natural pro
ducts TO be exported the p1oe OF tese products not
a rs sYa' neaae si0 IN the prodacoD Or these