Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-09-26
THE TARIFF COMMISSION
Two Large Manufacturers in Favor of
Less "Protection.
Chicno0 Times


West Of the Mississippi river the Tariff
Commission is hearing more of the free
trade side OF the question It pretends to be
considering than It heard east OF the river.
Possibly 1t will become convinced that the
people Of the great agricultural regions do
not enjoy being taxed for the benefit Of
manufacturers quite so much as some peo-
pie have supposed. At Minneapolis and
St. Paul, where MIR. Hewitt and Mr.. Sturte-
want, among others. were heard; st Des
Moines, where Mr. Philpot aud Others of
the Iowa Free Trade League submitted
arguments, and in st. Louis, where Mr..
Mier, a representative OF mercan tile and
manufacturing interests, had something to
say, the most Of the talk seems to have
been in favor OF free trade, or st least
more liberal tariff.
Perhaps the most effective of the areu-
ments have been those made by Mr. Abram
s. Hewitt and Mr.. Adolphus Mier, because
both Of these gentlemen are interested In
manufacturing, and both ask for q great re-
duction of the duties on the kind of ard-
cles they produce. Oshers have made quite
IS able arguments, but they can hardly have
produced so much impression upo1 the
minds of the high tariff men, who compose
the commission, because they have repre-
sented the tax-paying rather than the tax
eating interests, the latter OF which seem to
be the interests most deserving In the esti
nation OF the commissioners.
Mr.. Mier argued that the high tariff was
the cause of the high cost of living in this
country, and the high cost Of living made
the cost OF manufacturing high, and Grip
pied our export trade in manufactured arti-
Giles. The high cost Of living made it neces
sary to pay nominallY high wages, but, after
all, the WOrkiDgman was not protected, be-
cause the cost OF his living was increased in
~ for at l. &,
contended that the manufacture of cotton
required no protection; that II those en-
gagged in that business were not taxed
for the benefit of other protected inter
ests-if they were permitted to buy their
machinery, building materials, etc, in the
cheapest market, they could compete sue
cessfully against sny country in the world.
As TO pig iron, he said that his firm, which,
It seems, is interested IN the manufacture of
that Article, could stand q reduction to about
81 or So ton. He proposed to reduce all
protective duties largely, and make good
the deficiency In revenue, II necessary, by
laying duties on articles Of import Of kinds
not produced in the country, such as tea
and coffee. Mr.. Oliver wanted to know
II 1t would be "Wise policy to tax the
laboring man on his tea and coffee ?''
Mr.. Mier did not answer at all too
tartly when he said: awe are now taxing
the laboriDg man on everything, and he
would be less taxed If he had only to pay
taxes on tea and coffee. Those taxes were
taken off simply to cajole the people,"
Precisely so. Aud Mr.. Mler might have
added that all the laboring man paid on
tea and coffee went to support the govern
ment; while at least two-thirds OF what he
pays on iron, on cotton and wooden goods,
and other articles consumed by him goes
into the pockets of protected manufacturers,
and not more than one third to the supDort
Of the government. The time is coming
when the workingman will no. be csjoled
by Mr.. DIVERS "iree breakfast table" non
sense