Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-10-26
The East and the Tariff.
DAILY oregonian. April 30. lss7.


Harvey N. Shepard, an eminent Bos
ton merchant, recently addressed the
New England Club on the necessity o.
tariff reform. Protection, practically, is
lavished upon a few favored industries
and tells Brown that his trade must take
its chance with foreign competitors while
Smiths is guarded by tax SO high al
to shut out foreign competition. The
United States, France. and Germany try
to protect their manufactures by restrict
i've duties. Great Britain's manufactures
have to face the world without protec
ton. What is the result? Here is MIR
| Shepherds answer:
"Great Britain sells in Germany twice
what is sold by the French and three
times what is sold by us; in France one
and one-half times what is sold by the
Germans and twice what is sold by us
and here twice what is sold by the
French and four times what is sold by the
Germans"
Great Britain does not do this because
she pays less wages, for she pays higher
average wages under free trade than
either France or Germany I'M Ter protec-
ton, and the United States pays relative
ly no higher wages in her crowded
mining districts, in proportion to the
relative cost Of living, than Great Brit
ain. Before 1850, under a very low tariff
we led all nations in shipbuilding; to-
day our shipyards, that were once vocal
with the sound of ak, saw and hammer,
are silent, and last year Maine did not
build q single ship. Protection has
killed shipbuilding by making vessel
cost from $50 to $50 ton more in Bath,
Me-, than across the line in New Bruins
wick. Measured by our intelligence, our
free institutions, our vast line of sea-
coast, our restless, indomitable industrial
energy and talen3 for trade, we ought to
be the greatest maritime and commercial
nation on the face of the globe; yet We
are the least among the great powers of
the earth. The foreign trade of Great
Britain is more than 500 per head of the
population that OF France $45; OF Ger
many $35, and our own about $25. In
soil, in industrial skill and talent, in
mining wealth, in water power, we are
the richest nation on the earth, but
Great Britain beats US because food and
raw IndtCiidi ~ iltO 0Ecdt DIltdlu ITtS,
and therefore she can manufacture more
cheaply and undersell France, Germany
and the United States in the markets OF
the world. Last year the sum of $780,
600 600 was paid to Great Britain by the
United States for ocean freight, and a
large part of this freight money might
be in our pockets if our tariff, called pro-
tective, had not obliterated our shipping
and turned over to England the carrying
trade of the world on the high seas. The
answer OF high tariff men to the logic OF
these hard facts is the specious plea Of
protection to native industries. Mr.
Shepherd answers this argument al
length, and We quote elsewhere what he
says n the subject OF wool. The tariff
iron may shut out foreign competition
but it kills our own iron trade with other
countries. Mexico, South America
Australia and Asia buy millions of dol.
lars worth of iron from Great Britain and
none from us, because "Great Britain
could and did take in return for iron
wool, copper, hemp and linseed, while
our tariff forbids us to buy them. II We
would reduce the duties upon iron, wool
copper and linseed, the excellence OF oul
iron and steel would win a market fol
them in the remotest corners OF the
world"