Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1888-08-24
PRICES UNDER A PROTECTIVE TARIFF

Th" attorneys for free trade. who
seek TO cleate prejudice against the pol
icy of protection by charging that it ell
hancrS the cost to consumers. can best
le net by Il comparison of prices of Il
few articles in common use.
In 1850 salt. then OF the free list. sold
to consumers at :ln average price of So
per barrel! The tariff on salt III barrels
j., NOW L.. cents per hundred pounds OF
say Gia cents pei barreD. ANA The
average price is not more than halt that
of 1850. AS salt has been made the
subject ot special attack 1t may be we'll
to ascertain Just how much of the
present price goes to the manufaturieS,
against who 1t is sHugllt TO create pre-
iuaice. In i>>1. at the works III Mich
igan. salt sold ior ti3 cents per barrel
and of this sum ~ cents was paid to the
cooper for making the barrel All be
tween this price and that paid bv con-
sumels Went for transportation and
profit uf middlelnen.
The manufactures of plate glass MAS
established in ls66. when the f"reigm-
made articles sold for = 10 per square
foot, and the price has sceadlN lowered
untll now ii Is - cents per square foot.
PIG Iron in 1850 sod fnr $50 PEI
tom. With a talitt of So - peI tom it
now sells for SIS.
Steele rails Were first made here III
1867, when the prlce was Sl6i per ton.
Ike tariff has been as high as S-2S per
ton. and is HOW Sl1 Steele rails ale
NOW quoted at ;;5l and have sometimes
been lower
y favorite plea of free traders is Shat
with Wool and woolenS on the free list
the poor man $ blanket wonld he sold
for one-halt its present price-when the
fact is prices for blankets OF equal
quality are about the same in the United
States and England. Here is the proof
Last year the SECRETARY OF wal invited
| fGur pounds weight. and allowed for
;, eigmcis to compete on the same term.
4 as American manufacturers. that Is
y without paying the tariff. The lowest
/, British bid was only 80 cent per bla!ke
. less than that of America. The tariff
Il it had been charged. would be abou
Vt Sl.1O. Our free cabinet officer PAYS n,
e taxes and buys nothing in this country
!, The money for our national tleaSul,
'' Went To Il foreign country, and Amerl
1t can soldiers are to sleep under l}'itls'
5. blankets. because they can be made il
IS England for thirty cents less than II
this country.
and here is some testimony from tn
e other side: Matthew Arnold. the EN-
Fl inemt English scholar. statesman an
j. free trader advocate. !ecemtlN deceased
last year made a tour OF this country
/ and atterworis gave his conclusions !
the Nineteenth Century Magazine
n April, lSss. In this paper the write
M admits that conditions in the mite
~ States are favorable to THAT llnmem:
IFS class of people" whose incomes are lc:
OF than $ 800 Il year, While in Engta'
ch the advantage rs greatly in favor
% those with incomes above that sum
~ Of wages he says. "the humble kii
o. of work is better paid in America lll;
ch with us, the higher kind worse l.u:
So uries are as have said. very dear
., above all, European luNurles: but
W. workingman' clothing is nearly
lof cheap as in England and plain food
nd on the whole cheaper.-EN.