Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1888-08-29
A Free Trader Answered.
IT,. A ..r.o-.in Cn.As.aI L


Considerable stir has heen made over the
apostasy Of Mr.. Hincks, of Hincks & John
son, carriage builders, of Bridgeport, from
republioanism to Democracy, from protec-
ton to free trade. Mr.. Hincks has some
what heightened the interest by taking the
rostrum and delivering free trade speeches.
But like all other theorists and free traders
tion of the subjeet-Mr. Hineks' speeches
are mostly broad generalizations and contain
little that is practical and much that is un-
fair and misleading.
Thus, for instance, in late speech in
Bridgeport he said, "We have thirty-i7e
per cent. duty on carriages, but we pay
twenty dollars a ton on Norway iron, sixty
per cent. on cloth, sixty per cent. on plate
glass, fifty per cent. on varn1sh, and SO on
through the list. We pay more taxes on the
things we buy than we are supposed to get
on the things we SELL" This looks like q
strong free trade argument. It is until the
light of facts is let in upon it. This was
done by II. r. Parrott, of the same city a
day or two since, who took the statement as
the text for a speech. He first showed how
French brougham is sold twenty-five dolA
lars cheaper than it can be made for in this
COuntE4 Will GA0 OuGJ Ouj hHO WALL tAC oUSy
removed it would have to be made to sell
two hundred and forty dollars less than pres
ent prices.
Then taking Mr.. Hinek's statement above
Mr.. Parrott proceeded to its analyzation.
He said:
1--WE make as good carriage springs right
here in Bridgeport. as are made in the world
and as for cloth, would the removal of the
duty on wool make cloth which is pur-
chased in France any cheaper? The duty on
varnish is given by Mr.. Hincks as fifty pei
cent. This is entirely incorrect. The duty
is fifty cents per gallon and fifteen per cent.
ad advalorem, but the price of varnish used
largely in this country is not affected in the
least by the amount of duty at present inn
posed. We can sell an American varnish
Just as good in every respect as the bes
English varnish, and it is used continually
by the Pullman Palace car company and 9th.
er large concerns, which make special effort
to obtain the best materials throughout in
the luxurious coaches made by them. Even
if the English varnish is used it would moi
amount to one dollar on one thousand dol
lar carriage, as American varnish Is used
mostly on all carriage work in this country
excepting for the finishing coat in some in
stances. 1t has been computed that Mr.
Hincks pays taxes on materials for nins
hundred dollar landau to the amount o.
one hundred and thirteen dollars. He is
protected on this same landau to the amount
of three hundred and fifteen dollars, leaving
balance of over two hundred dollars which
/ is now divided between the manufacture
| and his workmen."
Perhaps the strongest and most telling an
I swer that Mr.. Hincks has received come
| from one of his own workmen. It is unan
| swerable and conclusive in the praetioa
manner in which it deals with the subject
It goes right to the point. Hear what the
workingman says:
"Seven years ago Mr.. Hincks desired t.
use on all his work an article that is knowr
as 'fFreneh clips" but its cost was a very
considerable item. Each blacksmith had
been accustomed to previous years to make
these French clips' for the jop he was iron
ing, for which he received five dollars. Mr.
Hincks came to me and asked me to figure
on them and see what I could do them fol
and to do all that were used in the shop.
MADE model and gave him my price.
thought that by making special set of tools
and doing them in a quantity that could dc
them at three dollars. In the meantime Mr..
Hincks had correspondence with manufac-
turing establishment in Paris, France, and
he showed me the price list and bills after
wards, and he showed how he could get them
and pay thirty -6ee per cent. duty for ninety
cents pairi and he did get theml What
benefit did we workingmen here have out OF
that! What the Freneh ehman who made them
got for his labor ia a mystery to me, for at
the price we made them we were furnished
with all the material, tools, etc.: and the
ninety cents he paid included tariff, material,
tools, labor and everythingl Don't tell me
that must compete with thisl"
Workingmen who have inclination to free
trade tendencies should paste the above in
the tops of their hats and refer to it fre-
quently whenever they are asked to vote to
endorse the Mills bill or any other measure
that tends towards free trade. If with the
nr0tanfiOn vra hava Anoarinan vropkiroy-
men are made subject to such a competition
as this, what may they not expect to meet
when the protective barriers are thrown
down?