Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-07-29
FREE TRADE? NO.
ENGLISH OPINION OF MILLS BILL.
A Leading Journal Considers 1t a Protection
Measure.
REPUBLICAN PLEAS VENTILATED.
A Moderate and Sensible Reduction Of War
Taxes.

LONDON, July 2S.-The Daily Ners con
tains the following editorial:
The Mills Tariff Bill, which has just
been passed by the American House of
Representatives by 162 votes against 149,
clearly removes the tariff issue in the
United States from the stage of rhetoric
and abstract plstitudes, and boldly places
before the voters the completed measure
upon which the Democratic party takes
issue in the campaign. But il has been
the habit Of the Republicans to deride
every attempt of the Democrats at q re-
form of the tariff as . free trade measure.
1t is their way Of giving q dog bad name.
They have employed most.specious pleading
to convince the workipgmen that the Pres
ident, rs well rs the majority 6f Congress,
led by Mr.. Mills, have attempted reform
in the interest of the British free traders,
and the bill under consideration, if passed,
would swamp the industries of the United
States.
THE PROTECrIoNISr ORGAN.
''The New York Tribune, the organ of
the protectionists par excellence, only re-
Gently said in one of its leading columns:
AS the British candidate, as the repre-
sentative Of the British manufacturing in
terests, Mr.. Cleveland is admirable, and
the true issue was very plainly stated by
Mr.. Cleveland in his famous message to
Congress last December. Mr.. Cleveland
urged the reduction of the surplus by re-
moving the duties upon raw wool and
other raw materials necessary in manufac-
turing, and the duties upon manufactures
and the necesssries of life based upon these
altered conditions
The President mas, however, emphati-
cally protested against the attempt to brand
those who seek to correct the evils of the
existing system of the rabid protectionisn
ss free traders and enemies of our work
iugmen aud industrial enterprises
Whether Eoglish free traders and manu-
facturers have reason TO congratulate them
selves or expect an increase Of trade with
the United States from the ultimate enact
ment of the Mills bill is question of grave
doubt.
sCRUTNIZING THE BILL.
"An examination of the bill seems to
show that, if anything, while reducing the
taxation it is more protectionist measure
than the law which it is intended to super
sede The present American tariff is a
war tariff, and it was based on the neces-
sity of taxing all and every commodity
that could possibly be taxed. Many of its
provisions are due to the fact that the in
land duties had to be compensated by an
equivalent upon import duties. These in
land duties have long been removed, while
all the equivalent import duties have re-
mained. Thus in point of fact the tariff
beside being practically higher now than
at its highest before, is absolutely increased
in its protective features by this removal
of the equivalent inland duties.
Now, the Mills bill gives the American
manufacturers free wool, and either free or
largely reduced chemicals and dyestuffs
and places protective duty at 40 per
cent ad valorem-a clear raising Of the
protective provision Of from one-thlrd TO
one-half its present rate. Besides this,
while in worsteds the duties were graded
according TO value from 90 cents per pound
to 40 cents per pound, the bill makes the
duties ON all woOlens and worsteds equally
40 per cent. In cottons very slight
changes are made and the reduction in the
linen schedule is also balanced by freeing
raw materisl which, strange to say, had TO
psy duties from u 10 12i per cent, al
though hardly pound of flax is grown in
the United States for purposes of manutac-
ture. The fibres used in manufacturing
are imported. The flax grown is raised
for the seeds and not for fibre.
THE METAL SCHEDULE.
'The metal schedule shows small
changes only except in steel rails, where
the duty of SIT per ton is reduced to Sll
per ton. But even now under the present
tariff the difference between the price Of
steel rails in Liverpool and Philadelphia is
not more than So or So. and this in face
of the fact that the pig iron and spieglesen
used in ton of rails costs the American
manufacturer at least 81 more than the
English rail producers have to pay.
"Mr. SchOenhof, American consul at
Tunstall, has lately made inquiries into
the cost OF production in Eogland and
America. The results of his inquiries are
now published by the Department OF
State. Ii any proofs were needed to con-
vince the world Of the ability Of the Amer
lean manufacturer TO take care OF himself,
if ON an equal footing so far ss his mater
isl is concerned, Mr.. SchoeDhof's care
fully collected data would supply them"