The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-09-03
Qhf Sntflltaenter.
FREE RAW MATERIALS.



|
The HypocrItIcal Demand of tho Ere
Traders Shown Up.
Mr.. Mckinley n atlanta Sp,eeh..
One of the chief complaints agains
the protective system is its alleged hin
drance to foreign trade and u foreigl
market for our own products. It is ar
gued that II We could import raw mate
rial from other countries free, and man
ufacture such raw material into pro
ducts for use, we could export them at {
great profit and thus secure standing
in the markets Of the world. This the,
DRY is wholly, as / believe, illusofy. II
is without substance. We have an ex'
ample OF free raw material in certain
line OF manufacture-thato OF leather foI
boots, shoes, ETC., etc. In 1872 hides
and skins were made free so that our
manufacturers could import them with.
out custom house burdens. They have
had Stree trade" in their raw material
now for sixteen years. This industry
has been an exceptionally successful
one, and yet you cannot avoid being
surprised when ! say to you that, in
those sixteen wears we have been able
to export but per cent Of the leather
production OF the country.
But il free raw material be necessary
TO secure an export trade and the for
eign markets, then l answer that our
manufacturers to-day have substantial
free trade in foreign raw materials
which they make into the finished pro.
duct in the United States, provided they
export it. Sections 3,0l0, 5000, 1921
and 3,022 OF the United States statutes
provide for the remission OF duties on
all foreign materials used in manufaC-
turing for the export trade. The law is
positive that all articles manufactured
forlexport from imported materials, upon
which duties have been paid, shall,
when exported, be entitled to n draw
back OF 90 per cent OF the duties paid on
such raw materials. Some use has been
made OF these laws. The remission OF
duties in 1884 paid upon imported mate
rial manufactured for foreign markets
amounted to s., 25G, 1888. On some arti-
cles the drawback is equal to the duty
paid, but in no instance where articles
are imported to be manufactured here
and sent abroad is the duty TO exceed 10
per cent.
And yet we are gravely told by the
tariff reformcrs that we cannot reach for
eign markets on account OF the high
tariff on raw material, when, in fact, for
foreign trade, foreign raw materialR are
practically free. This principle was re-
cognized as early as the Administration
OF George Washington, and has been
enlarged and made applicable to all i'm
ported materials, the drawbacks varying
from 90 to 100 per cent. What becomes
then OF the cry for free raw materials in
the presence al this iact2 The truth is,
we are not 80 much concerned about the
foreign market as we are about the home
market. The latter is the best, and We
have not yet been able TO control it, and
until we do, that should be our chief
concern. But il any OF our people are
signing for q foreign market and valueit
more highly than our own, they can
import foreign raw material practically
free OF duty, and after advancing into
the higher forms Of manufacture can go
out and possess the worlds market.
Taxed raw materials do not stand in
their way, and it is hypocrisy to claim
otherwise.