The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-09-22
a Lesson OF Facts.

| Is an invention of avarice to conceal spoil
alton. Its effect Is 10 enable employers 10
share In the wages they pay TO employees,
and to take from consumers generally more
than Just compensation for the things
they need. And this Is It's purpose. It's
shall hear and investigate all matters referred
| to the board relative to mines and mining.
true name Is: Tariff for tribute. Its con-
trary Is: Tariff for revenue.
The effects of these two kinds of tariff
on the welfare of a people can be shown
best by comparison in the case of two
peoples that in all other respects are In
| like conditions. Two SUCH peoples are
found in Australia: Victoria and South
Wales
They are alike Ia climate, in soil, and In
all natural resources. Each has a great
commercial seaport. They are occupied
10y the same race. Their political systems
are exactly alike. They differ greatly in
fiscal systems only.
In the year 1866 their population vas:
Victoria, 6369S2; South Wales, 43l, 4l2,
la the same year Victoria adopted the obs
structive system of tariff for tribute, which
has continued until this day. But, South
| Wales continued the system of tariff for
revenue.
Twenty wears afterward Victoria, with a
tariff for tribute, mad 1893 052 people, and
South Wales, with tariff for revenue, had
1890, 1862 people. The former gained in
population 90 per cent, but the latter gained
in population l39 per cent.
Between the census returns OF 1871 and
1881, Victoria, (tariff for tribute) lost a
number equal to her entire immigration
and IL, 900 also of her natural increase, the
actual loss being 1876. During the same
period South Wales, tariff for revenue)
gained 80 7l6-a change against Victoria
of 6S,632. The change is wholly explained
by the movement of population from the
tariff-tor>tribute colony to the taritf-for
revenue colony.
In 1866 the shipping business of South
Wales exceeded that Of Victoria by 1885,
OILS tons; IN 1888 the excess In favor of
the tariff 'forrevenue colony was S62,919
tons.
The relation of foreign commerce Qm~
ports and exports) shows an Increase Of four
to one In favor of South Wales and against
Victoria
"Ah! but how with manufacturing In.
dustries" cries some avariciOus admirer
of tariff for tribute.
In 1875 Victoria had 2,sl3 manufactur.
ing establishments, employing 49297 per
sons, In the same year South Wales had
1913 manufacturing est blishments, EN-.
ploying 45,7S3 persons. Ten years after
ward Victoria had 1928 manufacturing es
Establishments, and South Wales had 1865
manufacturing establishments.
The value of "plant and machinery" In
these establishments Is: in Victoria CA,
643,S93 In South Wales f5,S0l,757. The
" machinery horse power" of the former Is
20, 100, of the latter 25,l02. The difference
in favor of the taritf.tor-revenue colony Is
really greater than the figures show, be-
cause the value of everything ia the other
is Inflated by a tariff for tribute.
Mr. Pulsford, who has furnished these
data of comparison, says:
There are certain facts In connection
with manufacturers In South Wales that
ought to be peculiarly gratifying TO dem,
Ocratic community IL is the laudable am
bition of wOrkmen to become masters and
have businesses Of their own 1t will be
found by the figures that in South Wales
there are eight masters to every hundred
employees, whereas the number Is only six
In Victoria. 10 other words, the prospects
of man becoming his own master are one.
third or 80 per cent greater in the tariff
fSt-revenue colony"
The reason for this Is plain. 1t Is easier
for men to start factory where machinery
and raw materials can be bought at low
price than 1t is where they must pay a
high tax on them for tribute.
The statistics further prove clearly that
the tariff policy of Victoria Is tending TO
monopoly. II is pushing small manutac-
turers to the wall, forcing them out of the
colony and into the adjacent colony, whose
policy of tariff for revenue gives them a
better chance Of survival in the struggle
for existence. The tendency Of the tariff
for tribute policy is the same everywhere.
1t takes from the man Of small means the
chances of success in the combat OF life
which are justly his, adds that which II
takes to unjustly augment the chances of
the man of large means. Thus it contlnu.
ally tends tn the division Of society into
small class of very rich proprietary lords,
aud large class of very poor dependents.
1t Is policy of the most monstruus inlqui'
ty that rulers have ever pursued In the
world -Chicag0 Globe.