The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-08-15
A Few Tariff Questions.

n Few Tariff Questions.
To THE EDIToR-Sir: VIII you be so kind
as to publish in your paper an answer TO the
following questions or some OF them:
1. How does the rate of wages in the United
States compare now with 1850?
.. How does the rate of wages in 1910 COM
pare with 1850?
3. What is the freight per ton of steel rails
from Scranton to New York? Also, from Liy-
erpOol TO New York?
4. When were steel rails the highest? What
caused the reduction?
5. When did Germany pass the present pro-
tective tariff?
8. How does the condition of the German
laborer compare now with such before the pres
ent tariff?
Z. What per cent of English laborers own
their own homes?
s. What is the present duty on heavy build
ing paper made out of straw, known as straw
board?
9. What percentage of the agricultural pop
ulation grow wool?
TARIFF REFORM.
Delphi, Ind, Aug. 8.
l. The wages in our manufacturing in
teries in 1850 averaged $4,000 per capita /;
in 1880 they averaged S347.42. One half
the increase was made during the low
tariff decade 1S50-6O; the other half dur
ing the high tariff decades, 1S60-70 and
1S70-S0. In other words wages increased
twice as rapidly under the Walker free
trade" tariff as under the Morrill, war
monopoly tariff.
2. The census of 1910 contains no sta
tisties as to wages. They averaged con-
siderably lower, however, than in 1850.
3. We have not the information at
hand called for in this question. The
freight rates both by land and water are
tiuctuating.
f. In 1879. The reduction was due
mainly to the falling off in the demand
caused by a great decline in railroad
building
.. July, 1879.
6. The condition of the German laborer
is worse than it was before this tariff was
adopted. More than two years after it
went into effect WoLFGANG ScHoNLE, the
L. S. consul at Barmen, a republican,
wrote to the state department:
The fact that the cost of the necessaries of
life has almost invariably increased in ratio
with the increase of import dnties on house
hold articles cannot be argued away by Ger
man economists, and this fact remains sus-
pended, like the sword of Ddmocles, over all
economical and social relations in the German
empire. These high prices, put in juxtaposi-
ton with the low rate of wages, are very acute
ly felt by the laborng classes, and to pull
through these hard times is a very difficult task
for them.
Consul SoHoNLE then gives a compare
tive statement OF the prices of the neces-
saries OF life, compiled by the chamber of
commerce at Botham, Westphalia, which
showsthat an increased in the price OF almost
every article for family use followed the
adoption of the German tariff laws. Be-
tween May l, 1879, and May l, 1881, there
was heavy advance in the price of ham,
bacon, butter, beans, peas, flour. petro-
leum, lard and bread. The price of sugar
and potatoes did not advance, because,
says the consul, ''the duties on sugar re-
main unchanged, and potatoes enter free
OF DUTY"
He added:
When we regard the fact that the laboring
classes of Germany have to work hard from one
year to another TO procure for themselves and
their families the necesSaries of life, the accu-
mutation of small savings for "a rainy day" is
OF rare occurrence. Thus, it is not 70 be won
dered al that every year hundreds OF thousands
TURN lnelf BACKS on their ndllNt idHu, anu t1dI
the sOcialstc agitation will, In spite of all re-
strictive and prohibitory laws not come TO a
halt and rest.
These facts prove to demonstration,
two things: That protective duties in
crease the cost OF living and do not better
the condition of labor.
Other testimony of like character is
abundant. The following statement is
from the report of the German chamber
OF commerce after one years experience
OF the new tariff
The high duties have greatly enhanced the
cost of the necessaries OF life, while instead OF
wages rising, as was predicted, they have either
remained stationary or declined, and he cOndi-
ton Of The German tcorkmdn has materially de-
Perforated.
:. We have no data on this subject.
The percentage is small, because of the
land system, which places almost insur-
mountable difficulties in the way of the
transfer, acquisition and division of land.
s. The term ''straw board" is not used
in the tariff schedules. The duty on
sheathing paper is 10 per cent ad valorem;
on other kinds of paper, and manufactures
of paper, it ranges from 10 to 80 per cent.
0. The census returns do not show,
nor is it possible to say, with accuracy, as
agreat number offarmers raise few sheep
for mutton who can hardly be considered
wool growers. The percentage of the
agriculturists who are interested to any
considerable extent in wool growing is
very small.
Down with monopoly taxes!