The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-11-28

i hnu5 VI pOunuo Dug HuOAo manu-
factories of 1t have come into existence
In the United States than are necessary
to supply any domestic demand for theiI
product; and tariff of 60 per cent. OF
the importation of the principal com
pOnent raw material or constituent used
in the manufacture, so enhances the
price of this finished article that moi
one ounce OF it can be sold in any for
eign country. Hence our manufactures
of this speciality
| ARE CLOSING;
our wOrkmen are thrown out of employ
ment; our business is declining OF un-
profitable, and our ships are deprived OF
| an important element of freight, while
England, which imposes no tax either
/ on the raw or finished product, sup
plies the latter In enormous quantities
to most other countries, and her ships
| distribute 1t.
Howard M. Newhall, of Lynn, Mass,
| testified before a committee of the Legis-
lature of Massachusetts in February
last, In respect to the boot and shoe in
dustry Of the country, what no other
country knows how or could make shoes
as fast and as cheap as the Yankees"
Our shoe factories, running on full
time could supply all our population for
| year; and yet, If our manufacturers
wished to make certain shoe for ex-
pOrtatiOn to southern climate, the
cost of the material entering into each
pair OF these shoes would be enhanced
60 cents by tariff taxes before the work
of manufacture was begun. And under
| such circumstances there can be no eX-
port or foreign demand for American
| shoes, and the American shoemaker, no
| matter what may be the rate of his
| wages, has been so effectually protected
that he cannot now be positively certain
of continuous employment in isaaVoca-
tiOn for more than part of the year. The
speaker gave instances in other manu-
features of the injurious effect of the
high tariff, and adVerted to the last re-
port Of the Massachusetts bureau of
labor statistics as the most conclusive
and unanswerable demonstration of his
position.
The speaker said the depression of the
manufacturing industry in England,
where protection Is wanting, is due to
the wonderful changes which through
invention and discovery have recently
taken place in the worlds method of do
ing its work of production and distri-
button. These changes have been ac-
cOmpanied with immense losses of capi-
tai and great disturbances of labor, in
witch the United States have partici-
pated and suffered in common with 9TH
or countries.
The most urgent necessity of the
hour, therefore, Is the speedy large re-
ductiOn of federal taxatiOn-Or as my
friend Mr.. James 8. Morse, the Parsee
merchant, has happily expressed it, mo
further maintenance of war taxes in
time Of peace"
INJURIOUS EFFECT OF THE HIGH TARIFF.
In discussing the tariff heretofore, the
opponents of protection have been ac-
uut nd fN M AnRt hn ansara aWNk
of prices to the consumers as the great
est evil which this policy entails; and
are able now, more than ever to substan-
tiate their position by pointing on the
one hand to the enormous maintenance
in prices which followed the imposition
of a 100 per cent. tariff on the impOrta-
ton of Bessemer steel rails; and the re-
ductiOn in the price Of matches and
quinine which followed the removal of
taxes and duties from these articles
from 80 to 75 cents gross in the one
case, and to the extent Of about three
eighths in the other; to which might
further be added in the way Of illustra-
tiOn that, while with continuance Of
the protection and taxes in the Bessemer
steel rail case, the mills are stopping,
and the production has become unprofit-
able through over supply and excessive
competition; the reduction of taxes and
quinine, has been followed by larger
consumption and a more active manu-.
facture than ever. But great and in
furious as Is this burden of the present
high tariff, and l would not underrate
It,, the tariff works at present a far
greater injury to restricting our indus
trial growth and preventing us from
obtaining market for our surplus pro-
ductiOn. We are rich, and, as experience
hoa oh do ko
heavy imposition of taxes. But we can
not stand a stagnati0n and curtailment
Of business. The speaker illustrated
this point, and showed that, on account
of the annihilatiOn of time and space by
modern Inventions, making the whole
world one, wholesale profits are limit
ed, and trade turns upon the smallest
percentageS-a quarter of a cent q yard,
1 cent bushel and mill pOund-and
il duty is imposed upon any article of
foreign product which enters into the
processes of domestic industry, and d.
rectly or Indirectly increases the cost
thereof by the measure of these small
percentages (and under the tariff we
talk Of 20, 10 and even 100 per cent.
taXes), then all foreign sales of the pro-
ducts of such Industries will be simply
impossible. This explanation also ex-
plains why the first tentative measures
VI AuobAbubou ny f6OD-
ert Peel In 1842 and 1845, which con-
sisted mainly in the removal of numer-
GUS small but obstructive tariff duties,
set British manufactures and industries
forward by leaps and bounds, even be-
fore the greater burden of the corn laws
was removed in 1845.
IN AN INTERVIEW WITH JOHN ROACH
last spring, the tariff In relation to ship
building came up for discussion, and
John, as usual, dwelt long and earnest
ly upon the enormous difference in wa
ges paid in the shiIyards and upon the
Clyde-and, as near as can remember,
he figured out his nominal disadvantage
in this respect to be about 20 per cent.
But, he continued, my men work mainly
by the piece, and have such an oppOrtu-
nifty and incentive In so doing to aug
ment their wages, they have invented
and practice all manner of devices for
ecOnOmizing and perfecting their labor
80 much 80 that foreign ship builders
who visit my yards are astOnished at
the amount and excellence Of the work
we are enabled to turn out III a given
time; and we have thus been enabled TO
so far overcome the difference In Wages