The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-02

| Another Instance showing ths Absurdity Of
President Clevelsnd's Position
Special to the Indianapolis Journal

Another Instance Shosvine the Absurdity Of
President CIeveland's Posftiou
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Sept l-President Cleveland
in his tariff message 20 Congress said that tts
import duty is always added TO the cost OF the
home production when an article Is produced
This absurd statement has been repeatedly
shown to be false, and another instance Of it's
falsiiy and sbsurdity has Just been brought TO
the attention of your correspondent. In 1883
there was scarcely pound Of soda-ssh made in
this country. There had been some few tons ot
it produced by concern in Michigan few
years before bat the company was unabls TO
compete with the foreign manufacturers, and
their concern failed. In 1882 the solray Process
Company was organized in Syraease, n, T.. but
;ts first products were not placed upon VI mar
ket tilI 1854. At that time the price CT sods-ash
was si5 per ton. The average production OF the
Syracuse concern was, during the frstyeas thirty
tons Per day. The import duty is one-qusrser Of .
cent pound, Eve dollars per short ton. IL
Mr.. Clevelsnd's statement was correct the price
of sods-ash in this country would be the price II
Europe plus the tariff. or fifty dollars per ton,
exclusive OF freight and other charges Yet,
since this concern started IN. soda-ssh sells 80
from twenty-five 20 tventy-four dollars ton, o.
a reduction of upwards Of so per cent in four
years brought about by the beneficial iriuence
OF tine protective tariff. The Mills bill does nos
disturb the tariff on this article, but il does re-
duce the rate carstic soda one-half cent .
pound. Caustic soda is manufactured by this
same concern, as is also saleratus On the lat
ter the present duty is and one-hsif cent
per pound, aud the Mills bill cuts it of 50 per
cent. The workmen IN the factories Of the Sol
way company receive IS Der cent more in wages
than do the workmen in similar institutions IN
England. and 100 per cent more than those en-
ploysd in similar works in France and Germany.
The prlncIpsl raw materials used IN the manu-
fscture Of csustic soda, soda-ssh. and saleratus
arc coal, limestone, and salt. and from the time
each of these elements enters the fac tory 20 the
time when each is turned out as the finished
product, from the Syracuse works 95 per cent.
of the cost may be embraced under the head OF
labor.
The industry at present thrives and euploys
nearly o Thousand men, and so long as the tarld
10 maintained il will continue 10 prosper, but
there can De no doubt that il the Mills bill
should become law. and the proposed reduce
ton Of so per cent. the duty on csustic and
saleratus soda should 90 into effect IL VIII make
it necessary for the Solvay company 70 discop~
tipue entirely the manufacturs Of t1<ss prod
ucts, ard co1fae -hc1nsslres e---a-.-k- Ae~
duction Of soda-acs- L. t4ere is an5 good reason
why the monopoly in fbe manufacture OF these
two chemicals should be returned 10 England
then the Mills bll, as far IS IL affects them, Is
an admirable legislative enactment; otherwise
it will prove disastrous IN the the extreme, even
though IL may not result in the discharge Of
more than fifty or one hundred workmen.