The Republican journal., 1884-09-04
The Necessaries of Life.

The free traders have a good deal TO saw
their enhanced cost under protective system,
Admitting their premises to be sound. they
give only one side of the question If houses
were selling for $40 piece and the would be
buyers did not have and could not obtain the
ten dollars, they would not be so well off as if
the houses cost many times AS much and they
had the money to buy with In point of fact
there Is no such difference between the cost of
the necessares of life in this country and in
England as the free traders would have it ap-
pear; and that our working people are better
paid and have more money to spend is admitted
by everybody. A staff correspondent of the
Philadelphia Press recently had conversation
with John L. Hayes, Esq of Boston, who was
president of the Tariff Commission and is !,
recognized authority on such matters. with re-
gard to the reduction of the cost of various art
lces under the protective system. As one it,
lustraton take nails, which have declined in
price, through domestic product ion. from St
per 100 pounds in 1910 to $40 in 1883. 81
cheaper rate than prevails in any country in the
world, and enabling US to export in competit-
ion with England and Australia to South
America. while we send our nailmaking ma
chimes even to England ITSELF This is also
true of the cotton industry. There has been 4
reduction in the price of shifting from 30 cents
in 1914 to g cents in 1913; of prints of 230-
cents IN 1922 to 9.15 in 1913 and cents in 1888
In wooden goods there has been a like reGuc-
ton. The price of deanes, or Il CORE spending
fabric, has declined from 80 cents per ward in
1888 to 1l.22 in 1882. And this reduction ap-
plies also to goods of universal consumption.
such as tlannels, ordinary knit goods. low aud
medium cloth, and ready made clothing. The
free traders have much 20 say of the 90 per
cent. tax blankets, but the price lists of
large dealers for 1860 and 1883 show decline
OF 80 per cent. TO 60 per cent. from the lowest
to the best grades, in favor of the Protective
system over the for revenue only or Free
Trade system that prevailed prior to 1861.
Coarse wooden cloths have had the same rela-
tive decline. Those worth in 1860 81 80 pei.
yard are sold to-day for eighty cents to 81.
And yet the WOODEN industry of the United
States pays 100 per cent. more wages to lis en-
ployees than is paid in England. In ready
made clothing personal investigation and en-
curry revealed the fact that prices are now
from 80 to 40 per cent lower than at the period
OF lowest prices in 1860. and in the lowest and
cheapest goods the reduction is considerably
greater than this rate. Statistics are also given
as to the cost of women's dress goods, showing a
reduction Of fifty per cent from 1872 to 1852
In conclusion the Press correspondent SAYS:
These facts in regard to our wooden industry
confute etlecluay the false statements circul;t-
ted by those opposed to American industry and
American labor. to the effect that the masses of
the people of this country are compelled TO pay
as a tax the duty, not only on imported goods
TO The Government, but an equivalent amount .
IN Increased cost. to the American manu- facfur-
Ell for goods made at home. 1t is also a curious
TACT that, while the cost Of the raw material.
both in the iron and wooden industry is higher
here than i'll Great Britain, by the time the
product assumes Its most highly manufactured
condition--in the former industry in cutlery.
farming implements. machinery, etc. and in
the latter industry in ready made clothing-the
cost to the consumer in this country is but
slightly, if any, in excess of the cost in Free
trade Great Britain