Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-05-15
COOPERATION OF PROTECTIVE AS
SOCIATIOSS.
An Interview with Col. lie Grand II. Can


SOCIATIONS.
An Interview with Col LIE Grand B. Can
Some time ago a movement was inaugu
rated to combine for the purpose of CO.
operation all the protective associations of
the United States. How far that effort
has been successful we are unable to say,
but it should not be difficult matter to
carry the plan into successful operation
and thus ensure unity of action against
the insidious encroachments of free-trade
doctrines. One of the chief advocates of
consolidation is Col. lie Grand b. Cannon,
and for that reason, probably, he was re-
Gently subjected to an interview by a New
York correspondent of the Birmingham
England Daily Gdzettc, whose letter to
that journal we find copied into the Amer
lean PrOtectiOntst of April Is, in full
Col. Cannon and his associates are repre-
sented as being strongly impressed by the
efforts of the British Golden club to dis
seminate free trade notions among the
young men of the United States, and de-
termined to counteract them by every pos
sible means. Hence" says the cores
pendent, 1.-The attempt to weld local pro-
tective bodies and to transform them into
one powerful organization for political
purposes. The object of the intended
league is to maintain protective duties on
every article manufactured in the United
States, to remove the subject of protec-
ton permanently from the sphere of &C
cidental legislation and party politics, and
to unite prominent men of both political
parties for that purpose" Col Cannon is
represented as favoring high wages to
workingmen as means of promoting the
general welfare of the country. He be-
lieves that home market is quite sufficient
to absorb all the manufactured products
this country is capable of producing now
or in the future, and rejects the clamor
about over production entirely. In his
judgment the depression of trade from
/ which the country has been suffering was
caused by underconsumpton. He might
! have added excessive impOrtatiOnS rs an
other element of mischief, clogging our
! markets with fOrelgn-made goods which
the wage-earnerS of the United States are
capable of producing, and thus decreasing
their ability to acquire the means OF pur
chasing articles tor consumption. Col.
Cannon says "rhere can be no over
production here, because, under wise
protective system, whenever the consump-
ton grows too keen the weakest must go
to the wall the tittest will survive, and
there will be quick recovery from the eff
fects of too much competition under high
wages" The correspondent proceeds as
The present is said to be dull season,
yet the balance Of trade for the past three
months in favor of the United States
reached the unparalleled sum Of $4,000
600, under protection. What asked the
colonel, has free trade done for England
in those three months ? The unprecedent-
ed prosperity shown by that balance of
fl40, 000, 900 in three months is not attribu-
table to exclusively exports of produce to
!, foreign countries, but to steady decrease
of imports, as many would suppose, be-
cause the figures show that ninety-two
! per cent. of the food produced was con.
sumed in the United States, and there has
never been time when the exports reach.
ed more than eight per cent of the whole
products of food. Excessive protection is
, not desired, One cent is as good as 800 n
ton, 50 long as it protects. But, under
protection, see what we have done, said
= the colonel, | was in England in 1872 &c
make contracts for the purchase of 0,OOt
tons of steel rails. | effected contracts
for 5000 tons in England and 5000 in
D France to be delivered here, duty and all
e charges paid, costing $3.50 per ton Al
: that time there was only one mill in this
r country turning out steel rails-namely
S at Troy. To make steel they were i'm
J. porting pig iron at S67 "A ton. When re
g turned | was told this mill could have
T. made the rails at 1920 a ton, and the re
!, suit of it was that we got of the foreign
e contract by paying a forfeit of 81 per ton
r and we had the rails made in this country
o and after paying the II per ton profit mad,
, a clear profit of another f. per ton This
was only twelve years ago only one stee
/ mill in the United States and now we ar,
i the largest producers of steel in the world
h We had duty of $2S ton on steel, re
e duced in 1888 To sl7 per ton, and in 1884 w,
: made 100000 tons more than England
t and now, with higher wages and low duty
: we are selling steel rails ut S26 a ton. Eng
+ lish steel rails are selling at "a l5s, de
y forth will probably bring the price up t,
d Is ton freight say lbs more insur
e ances, commission, lighterage etc, OF
Il this side, is. or S. more total E6 ton o.
l. Whereabouts in New York. At these price,
+ production is not profitable either in Eng
II land or the United States, but the compe
e tition is good for the country and if Their
:, has been some reduction in wages the
n are still very much higher here than ii
n England and will remain so, and in fac
d of low prices all round find the balance o
d trade in our favor to the extent of $40,
Il 600 900 in three months, under protection
We propose to keep it up. Before protec
y ton, the balance of trade was against IL
s and in favor of England we were Away
d heavily in debt to London. Now, said tn
l. colonel, we have loaned money to Londoi
d to the extent of S50000,0O0 or more, ant
It when the money is wanted it will have +,
be shipped from London in gold and tn
e bank of England rate will go up to six o
J. seven per cent Rates for money in New
l. York to-day are ] u per cent. on the street
n and on sixty days bill of exchange il
!. London to four per cent. profit is made
y These bills of exchange are not drawn
t against shipments of goods from Englan'