National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-11-07
WHAT IS RAW WATERFALL
Secretary McCulloch's omciai Report
to Congress Reviewed.
National Insurance Review.


manner Of rebuilding our merchant marine,
but we cannot agree with him upon his
tariff ideas.
After rcgretting that time has not per.
United him to enumorate articles from
which duties should be removed he for
mulates two ideas, the first OF which reads
thus
First that the existing duties upon raw ma.
terials which arc to lie used in manufacture
should be removed. This can be done in the
interest OF our foreign trade. This lsthe d jc.
trino which the Democrats teach.
The words "raw materials do not convey
any definite idea, do not describe any par
ucular thing or things, but Secretary Me-
Culloch has added some words which define
positively aud particularly the import OF
the words as used by him. lie says, "raw
materials which are to be used in manufac-
ture.n
These words, (Which are to be used I'm
manufacture clearly define the articles
from which the Secretary says "the exist
ing duties should lie remoy el. ;,
1t is plain to every mind that articles
which any one proposes TO 'use In manu-
facture," are those which are TO come in
free, II Secretary McCulloch's idea is
adopted.
Now, what articles arc used in mauurac-
ture, end are therefore to come In free as
raw materialsS
Let us examine, first, in manufactures of
iron.
II We go to the furnace where pig iron is
made and ask the owner, HWhat arc the
raw materials you want free Of duty to
use in manufacture pm he will answer at
once, "iron ore and lime.n
Now let us go to the rolling mill where
bar iron is made and ask the owner, 'sWhat
are the articles which you want to use In
manufacture that you desire imported free
OF dutyF" lie will answer, "pig iron.n
"A step further and we are at tie "fnery
furnace" or converter where refined iron
is made, and We will ssk the owner what he
wants imported free to use In manufac-
tureW He will answer, "bar from"
Now, we will go to the steel furnace,
where steel is made, and ask the owner
what he wants imported free to use in
manufacture, He will answer, "reHned
from is my best material.
walk with me to the factory OF cutler,
ana let us ask him what "raw material' he
wants imported free to use in manufacture
OF axes, knives, razors, agricultural tools.
&c., and he will answer, "reGned iron and
stecl.n
So you see the "raw material for use in
manufactured, needed by one person, Is the
finished product of another.
The cutler is as much entitled to the steel
and refined iron he uses free of duty as is
the owner of the steel furnace to his refined
iron.
The owner of the steel furnace is as much
entitled to his "reilned from free of duty
as is the owner Of the "llncry furnace" to
his bar iron.
The owner Of the ''iinery furnace Is rs
much entitled TO his "bar iron'' free of duty
as Is the owner Of the rolling mill to his pig
iron.
The owner Of the rolling mill Is as much
entitled to his ''pig ironn free of duty as Is
the owner of the furnace TO his iron ore.
Now, is iron ore delivered at the furnace
straw materialn
No, sir. Iron ore, where II lies imbedded
in the earth or rocks, is raw material, but II
ceases TO be SO when natures chemical lab
oratory has finished its work, and the pick
and crowbar Of the sturdy miner has torn It
from its bed and placed itupon "the dump"
at the mouth Of the mine.
Then 1t is the finished product of the
miner, and represents his labor as well as
the forces of nature which created II, aud
the money of the capitalist who owns the
mine. Some iron ore, when on ''the Dump
the finished product Of the miner, has to be
washed before 1t Is ready for transportation
or use. This has to be taken To the washers,
where the clay and other foreign substances
are removed. The labor of the washers Is
added to 1t, removing it another step from
the raw material. Then 1t has to be trans
ported to the furnace, which still further
removes 1t from the state of raw material.
Now look at cotton. Is 1t even raw ma
terial when the open bolls are hanging upon
the stalk waiting the arrival of the pickerP
The labor Of man for six months has been
expended on 1t. He plowed the ground
in February, "bedded 1t upn in March,
opened the bed and planted the seed In
April, thinned 1t out In May, plowed and
hoed 1t In June, and again In July, and
then waited until October and November
for the bolls to ripen and open, SO that he
could garner the fruits of his labor. Then
he picks 1t out and 1t is the finished result
Of his labor.
But 1t goes to the gin house, and there It
is raw material. The gin divides 1t into two
products-"the lint" and ''the seed" The
one is baled, the other is bagged, and sent,
the first to the spinner, the other to the oil
mill. When the bale Of cotton arrives at
the thread factory it is raw material, and is
into thread, the finished
product of the spinning jenny. This thread
goes to the dyer and from him to the loom,
when again 1t Is raw material to be con-
yerted by the loom into cloth. From the
loom 1t goes TO the bleacher and the printer,
being raw material In every stage.
To which of oil these men does Secretary
McCulloch intend to furnish raw material
free Of duty, or is 1t to all Of them2 Justice
requires that they should be treated alike.
But let us take another view of this subject.
The iron ore from which the furnace
owner, according to Mr.. McCulloch, wants
The duty removed, is worth 81 per ton or
of cent per pound, half of
which represents labor.
The pig iron is worth one-quarter OF n
cent per pound, the addition In value being
over two-thirds labor and one-third CAPT
tai.
The bar iron is worth three.quarters of A
cent per pound, one-half the increase being,
labor, the other capital.
Refined iron and steel Is worth from two
TO three cents per pound, two-thirds OF the
Increase being capital, one-third labor.
The cutler takes pound Of steel costing
Three cents and makes IL worth from 81
10 $50, a small part of the increased value
representing capital, the main part labor.
The jeweler takes his piece of steel worth
4 few cents and turns out a pound of watch
springs worth $3.50, all the increased value
being labor.
The jeweler wants the very best steel that
can be made for his raw material. He in
ereases the value 5000 fold. Shall he be re-
fused his ''raw material" free of duty when
i is given to the other mechanic, who
merely increases the value Of the material
le uses ten foldP
Who will Secretary McCulloch constitute
u tribunals to determine what is straw ma
yerial which are to be used in manufacture ?n
VIII 1t be the jewellers and the cutters
VIII 1t be the owners of the mills or the
furnaces, or the miners who dig the iron
ore, coal, and limestone.
There Is no such thing as ''raw Materials
except the productions Of unaided nature,
md II is sheer nonsense to talk OF Stree"
'aw materials.
The bark of the Cinohona tree, which we
import to manufacture into quinine, looks |
ike raw material when It is landed from the
ship. But is it2 TWAS when 1t grew upon
he tree in South America, but labor was ex-
pended in stripping It from the tree, and
hen In smoking and then in transporting
t, generally on mems back, over mountain
ranges, and through tropical jungles to the
ieaConst, and then by shin 10 this country