New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-19
4 FREE TRADERS CHOICE.
A CONSUMER OPPOSES CHANGE OF TARIFF
WIEN SHALL WE BUY CHEAPER GOODsf

To me EdftOr OF The Tribune.
SIR: 1t is the misfortune Of some of my free
trade friends that they cannot keep up with he
world. Thoy stopped mental growth some years
ago and cannot be made to understand that indus
tries have grown or prices changed during all that
time. I an tired of hearing them assert that it
costs from 20 to 30 per cent more to live in this
than in other countries more to produce things,
and more to get anything we want " from the cradle
70 the grave" Millions of men and women have but
lately come from other lands They are scattered
all over this country and telling their per-
sonal experience in almost every village Those
who hear the story that they tell naturally wonder
whether Messrs Morrison and Springer are shock
ngly ignorant or shamefully insincere. Ignorant
they ought not TO be, this matter for every
official report on foreign commerce should be
enough to enlghten them
People do not export goods for amusement. IF
man sends off to distant lands property which has
cost him hard money or hard work, we know he has
found place where he thinks it will fetch more
than il will here-enough more to cover cost of
transportation, risk, insurance and charges. Or if
a foreign merchant buys here. he takes the goods
because. quality and all else considered, he finds
this the cheapest place to buy. The single fact
that a product is constantly taken from this
market transported to another. and there sold at
profit settles the question of relative price whether
the quantities so moved are large or not. If buy
one yard of cloth mt store, learn the price as well
as if | had bought fifty.
Perhaps even Mr. Springer knows that other
countries cannot afford to send here for sale wheat
or -four corn or meal oats or vegetables, fresh or
sailed beef pork or packed meats, lard or tallow.
These items bread and meat, cover large part of
the cost of living and send them TO almost every
country on earth Within the past year we have
sent wheat to the Danube, hOuIstO Russia and both
to Australasia A very few countries drink none
of our spirits, or of our beer. Thus. things for
which we spend about half the entire cost of living
are so cheap here that we can supply them at
profit to nearly all the world. The rest of the cost
of living expended mainly for rent, furniture,
clothing and implements, depends largely upon the
cost OF lumber iron and other metals leather and
textile goods.
Mr.. Springer asserts that on all wood and wooden
ware consumers in this country pay tax OF 10 per
cent But official reports prove that we export
lumber largely. sending about two-thirds to Great
Britain, and quantities to Canada and Mexico.
How can this be, if lumber costs Is per cent more
here than therei We export boards to every nation
on earth except Greece. Does Mr.. Springer think.
bv buying all our boards from Greece, could get
them 10 per cent cheaperf We sent more to
Canada last year than anywhere else, and
quantities to Australasia the British West Indies,
and next in order. to England. Shingles, lath
shocks, barrels, we exported largely. Can anybody
name a place where we could get them cheaperf
We sent both wooden-ware and other manufactures
of wood to every part of the world except Austria
Greece, Turkey. Russia, and the East Indies, and
household furniture to every country on earth ex-
cent Russia Greece, and the Dutch East Indies
From what part of the world can we buy these
things Mr. Springer asserts at saving Oh 10 per
cent? 100
lie also asserts that pay tax OF 20 per cent
on all metal manufactures" We ship copper 10
England, France, Germany the Netherlands, and
twelve other countries, cad TO these named and
twenty-three others, and manufactures of iron TO
every nation in the world except Greece. What
to Englandf Yes, exported to England last year
iron castings, car-wheeS, stoves steam-engneS,
other machinery ISL 100000 worth. nails and
other manufactures of iron (f5OO.OOO wOrthl edge
Tools cutlery. files and saws, firearms and other
manufactures of steel Quantities more we sent 10
Scotland Ireland, and British possessions All over
the world True sent to England no steel ralls
no bar iron, and only 7l,OOO POUNDS oil, pig ron
Rut il we pet almost all manufactured forms OF IRON
80 cheap that we can export them' as we d0-sloEes
TO fifty-two countries, machinery 10 hity. euBo
toois t0 forty-eght nails firearms and other manu-
f,ctures of steel tn forty five countries each, files
and saws TO fortytwO, castings TO thirty seven, cut
lery to thirtysiX, wheels boilers, and station
airy engines TO twenty-five countries each, steel III
COTS to sixteen sheet iron To fourteen, bar iron 10
thirteen and rails, IN spite of British competition,
To Canada CUBA, Mexico, and BraZll-we can safely
inform Mr. Springer that his statement II not true
Weexported leather last year TO forty countries.
including over 2l,0O0.O00 pounds TO Eng. and,
boots and shoes and saddery aud harness t. thirty
eight countries EACH and other manufactures of
leather TO forty-One. We sent 25,OOO,0OO yards OF
cotton cloth TO England alone, and ll3;OOoOOO
Yards to ffty-seven other countries. These are
but samples OF the evidence with which the official
reports are crowded. Can any one believe, when
we export these products to 80 many different
&C ntr es that the prices actually higher, Qpat
ity Of goods considered In this than IN other lands
A savage was once converted with ease, upon
demonstration that his wooden god was dead. My
free trade friends worshipping detunct theory
They have been kneelng 80 long at its shrine that
the world has marched away from them. III they
see that industries and prices have changed greatly
within twenty years. EDAx.