New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-12
WAGES AND THE TARIFF.
rx.spEAKER GROW SPEAKS FOR PRoTEC-
TON


ron n1 speech before me gstQn League at chester ~" ~"
During the year ending june 80, 1888, s2l4Ooo'-
ooo we've collected by the United States in duties on
foreign imports BY whom was this amount PAID
nh free trader and revenue reformer las he IL oaedl
onld answer by the consumers of the articles upon
rbich the duties were imposed; for by the laws OF
.o5e II would be impossible for II to have been paid by
anv one else That would be the free trade logic OF
The question based on the assumption that all duties
are maid hy an enhanced price of the articles upon
which the duty is imposed But what are the factsi
In 1870 a duty of one and one-fourth cents per
pound. equal to s2s q gross ton, was imposed on
Bessemer steel rails At that time sucl rails were sell
inc in our market for $lO6 7o per ton Without any
change whatever in the duty Bessemer steel rails sold
IN the same market in 1883 for S35 per ton II the
consumer of these rails IN 1888 paid s2S-the amount
of the dnty more than he would have paid had there
teen no dntytben the labor and material in ton OF
pesscmor steel rails at that time cost only -
Pig iron for Bossemcr steel ut that time was selling IN
,he same market for SOP to 500 per ton. The mere
statement of these facts is conclusive that the consumer
of steel rails in 1888 did not pay S2s per ton more
than he would have paid had there been no duty
There kind Of logic metaphysics than can prove
that But the free trader would say that in such case
ro steel rails could he imported, hence duty would
om the selling price In the market m order TO ascer
t,ln, the cost without duty The Custom House re-
,,ps show that In 1889 there imported 1bi u.s.
go9 pounds of steel rails which duty was paid oi
slp37,27s 80 Now, If this amount OF duty almost
$1,000 600 was finally paid 10y the consumers oi steer
,als hon the labor and material for each ton Of rails
,old for el1 amounted to only W, as hcQro stated
I'm utter disregard oi these ncontIo'erable m'ls Tue
nee trader aud revenue Icoimcl would still declare
that hy the laws Of trade II would be impossiho Tor any
.urb f,cts tn exist aud they would continue To Chnp
thrr logic in legislative halls and in the forum o the
poope based ON their OWL Imaginary lacts
Ihe quantity of steel rails manufactured I'm ha couh
NV In 1ShH was 200 gao tons and the quantity IN,
u6rted VIVA little css than 10000 tons making ~ hh
ior consumption. IN round numbers, afUVoo IONS.
The price In on market VIA FROM tdo TO tlo per Yen
call Inc nyotnpr mice sAO Then the consumers oi THIS
entire product paid ot ~ In market price Aol NuoOu
Of which amount the nee trads, won1 .'', ., .,i
y reason nf the tnfih leaving only $40 iaoooo Tor Inc
labor aud material IN tho 100000 tons of rails
which would bc NJ the rate ef II ~ per ton hlrhH
,uch would hr the icsult tho argument ot tho ilcc
trader Ia - ialincy aud his logic fraud Vet Ia give
,u,nhn.,s to his conclusions, notwithstanding these
fcis hr would declare that tho manufacture ol steel
rails had robbed the consumer Of this HdNouo,uuo
Ia the same way the free trader can go through the list
of dutihle articles IN tauh law, and multiply the iaie
u duty specified IN each schedule 10y the quantity ot the
article imported, aud also the quantity manutacturtd
r produced home and then call the product OF such
multiplication the gross SUM which the consumer pays
for the benefit of the manufacturer II IN the taHh
there should be- duty of six cents yard ON some
kind of cloth which cloth could be purchased at any
country store for five cents yard, he would insist
that tie purchaser robbed of six cents on each
ward h, hc oucation of the tariff In this way his
iaurc. I'm most cases would make laboring man pay
annually more in the enhanced price of articles which
he consumes than his entire wages amount 10.
PREFERABLE THEORIES BASED ON IMAGINATION
Whether the consumer pays all or any portion of
duty or tax increased burthen upon any business
depends solely upon the circumstances surrounding
that business, and is question of fact and not Of logic
Aud the question of fact depends wholly upon the
supply and demand and the relative of production
az home and abroad at the time he duty or tax Is
imposed The theory of free trade in discussing legs
lave affecting labor and the general welfare
Of the country is based almost wholly mistaken
imaginary facts.
II. fir, po,tulae i. that if duty levied on an arti-
Gle doe. not enhance the cost 10 the consumer then il
be- col NO benefit to the producer and iii doe,
nance the cost 10 the consumer, then that is taxing
Per for The benefit OF another thus creating or fOs
tcrng monopoly This j. the dilemma which the free
trader and revenue Icforner with conscious air Of
triumph presents IL his opponents as the conclusion OF
all argument.
The duty on Be-semer steel rails when first imposed
al ~ pcr cent al Vaorcm did not enhance their
market price for AT The time done. they sold Tor
slGG per ton and never at AN, time did they sell for
cent more. " lille the duty of -ZS per ton imposed in
1870 did not increase the market price. II created
new competition in home manufacture, b., making the
foreign manufactured rail cost in market SIS per
ton than did before: but this not
added To the selling urice for the conclusive reason
That the increased alter thr OF
tine duty The home competition thus created gradu-
ally reduces the price to the consumer until il reaches
point so low as To- exclude all mportstons and then
The entire consumption of the country i, produced 10y
home labor and without any enhancement of price
by reason of a tmit duty.
PHICrs REDUCED BY TIE TARIFF
Paradox cd as it may seem, duty can be imposed
upon an imported article. which would Doe Of great
benefit to thc home producer of like article and yet
reduce Che market price of that article to the consumed
Take fpr instance, the production of coal or non.
similar product the same inv cstmout Of money. in
what called the plant and the same general expenses
M the supervision Ud management of the business the
greater the production the less tn cost for any specific
quantity. If producer oi coal has capacity fer pro-
ducuC 2OOOuO tons year aud he sells 700 600 tons
aud requires profit for u years business - 600.
thcn he must cell each ton at anc profit of five crns
m tRc same market COCOON tons duine Gc ,'ar,
The capacity ,i jhr market for consumption would
then lee 2u0Opu tons wear liza duty Is Imposed 30
exclude the 700 900 toms then the home producer
can sell 2no.onO tons instead Of lOOOuO. IN thnt
ease make his 60 600 on his wears business be- sells
t.ch ou 10 70 net profit ~ two aud oun half cent. tn
stead of five crnts a. lac did ON the 100000 tpna 1hl
Nv ihn operation NJ the tuih duty ho consumers of ihc
100000 toms of coal would pay i've nrd ono hut
cents pee tuu l,., nn they paid WHEN hall the guam.
ut, VIZ Imported While The consumer paws ta- the
produ,cr t,cr,cs tho snmc profit on his rcncrh husi
ic.a and ia, labor surrounding him has IA, benefit of
producing 2ouOOo tons Ncnr instead of 100000.
and tho community Che advantage fcsutinR from cu.
laigod hutuo.s. Thus hy securing the home market
i'i N"Ih plhNN'Ilht WlIlli'hhl tilINA NNhI ~ lll
nshcd ior home labor aud The producer lie enabled Ia
cell cheaper b, reason OF the larger amount OF his an
bual production.
iniu.inpa duty on an article which confossodlv
can lo produced cheaper abroad than ~ huuc. duca
hot ucoofsnfily enhance the price To- the consumer
that depends IN part and pcthaps wholly ON how much
cheaper % can ho produced. II enough 80 the foreign
producer can deduct ho dHy itun Lia profit aud sttll
leave him mugin lac might prefer tn lopc he duty
rather than restrict his market For the greater
quantity produced FROM the snmc plant costing tcln.
lively lrss u might be- better for him to reduce his
ula In Ia. Il
duction.
1nE RrLhtinNs or rHorfr AND TANEs.
Persons engaged IN business IN which there Il sharp
competition aud new expense la tax other butthcn