New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-02
MIR. PORTER AND HIS CRITICS.
FREE TRADE THEORIES AND THE SOLID
FACTS.
FIGURES SHOWING THE DECLINE OF ESGIAND's
MANUFACrUREs.


To ths EDITOR OF Tho Tribune.
SIR: This mornings mail brought me several
newspaper excerpts containing various crit.ci.ms Of
THE TRIBUNE Industrial Letters.
The frat Is q long communication from j. 8. Moore,
printed by The Nc York Ereaig Post which the writer
calls expose" Of my comparisons OF the prices OF
manufactures of silk the United States between 1865
and 1892 but which rather complaint that IN show
ing the decline IN the cost TO the consumer selected
the years 1865 and 1882. because the average
premium gold was 90 per cent In the former
year gold par IN the latter Without wearying
the reader with long discourse the premium
on gold. will come the point made In my
Coventry lettehat the price OF all classes OF Six
goods mas declined in the United States under proec
tive policy The figures gave prove this regarded
by the silk Association OF America fair approx
mate estimate OF tue per of the decline in the price
OF the several classes Of silk goods manufactured m the
United States. Any intelligent knows that single
could bring about such decline, though to read
the so-called EXPOSE" of Mr. Moore would
suppose / had been foolish enough to attribute
it to one cause. On the contrary, merey quoted
the figures to emphasize the tact that protection had rot
increased the price of silk goods to tia American
suDer, but that wholesome home competition had kept
prices down. that the United States had gained ali i'm
portant industry and the had paid more for
his goods.
That was my point.
Now Mr. Moore's point, which bears directly
the decline OF prices. The development of the
American silk industry, energetic home competition, the
decline in the price of silk, and possibly Mr..
Moore says, the decline In the gold pre-.
MUM, have all contributed to decrease the
cost of silk goods To attempt to prove that the
difference IN the gold premium the only cause OF
this decline as grotesdue the attempt to prove that
the progrsss Of the world from the removal OF
few duties by the British Parliament in 1912.
Rnfb md hfa do Inn IN
Lord salisbury. this is bur cheating the great tom
OF Tree trade TO summon the creduous 10 worsiip
AS Mr. Moore objects TO 1865 will take 1873 when the
average premium god was ID per cent? and compare
tho prees of silk gooas with the prices in 1882 In
period price Of ribbons declined "A per cent and
the price Of machine twist 80 per cent
Will Mr.. Moore tell the credulous that this decline was
due 10 tie premium on goIdl
Ribbons aud machine twist the two most important
items Of silk Industry, their combined value exceed
ing 900 IN the year 1880 Irepeat again.
SAID in my Coventry letters-lhat protecting and
developing silk industry iron aud steel
industry industry and every other pro-
ductiye Industry with which country
is blessed, have essened monopoly, cheapeDed
the product the consumer and added greatly to
the wealth OF the Republic rs the construction OF the
colossal pOdcrs dykes have to the wealth aud pros
perity II the country from which / write. Had the
Dutch been traders they would have said 1t Is
hand for sea- and quietly woald have been submerged
Instead Of which, with stone with iron, coal
timber they became the most protective Of nations,
and without trying TO convert the world to a theory
made Holland thrifty country.
DECLINE or ENdLAND's SILK TRADE.
Half dozen OF my critics make direct the
In THE TRfBUSEs letters but quote Great
Btans progress during last forty years and her III
creased wealth THIS they say is due TO free trade.
During the forty years the trade Of protective
France. Germany. Italy Aus ria Holland. Belgium and
the United states has also increased immensely. Indeed
aecordngt Mulhal in OF these countries far
rapidly than IN Great Britain. This, undoubtedly my
critics brought about spite OF protection
The present condition " these counriess what am
dealing with, ana In regard TO Engands present indus
trial condition submit the following facts:
Unless Parliament puts protective tariff on manu-.
features OF silk the industry VIII die ont IN England
within q comparatively short time. I have already
shown that branches Of the trade the operatives
have 70 exist on less than 81 week but even with
wages this low ebb England cannot compete with the
Continent Avoiding the question OF values, Will call
attention to the following extraordinary decline the
quantity Of raw silk imported into ENGLAND since 1871
and tho OF importation into The United
states during the came period: