The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-07-25
7 alks on the Tariff.


The following tariff talk comes from the
Illinois Home Market Club Of Chicago, III.
1t will be of interest to those who want to
know about salt glass, pig iron and steel
rails. and the relation of those commodities
to the tariff:
a. The attorneys for free trade, who seek to
create prejudice against the policy of pro
lection by charging that it enhances the cost
10 consumers, can best be met by compari-
son of prices of a few articles in common
use.
q" In lSGD salt then on the free list, sold to
consumers at an average price Of s. per bar
rel. The tariff on salt in barrels is II cents
per 100 pounds (or say 33i cents per barrel,)
and the average price is not more than half
that Of 1863. As salt has been made the
subject OF special attack, it may be well to
ascertain Just how much Of the present sell
ing price goes 20 the manufacturer, against
whom il is sought TO create prejudice. In
lSs7. at the works in Michigan, salt sold for
ca cents per barrel, and of this sum % cents
was paid TO the cooper for making the bar
rel. All between this price and that paid by
consumers went for transportation and prof
It's of middlemen.
The manufacture Of plate glass was es-
tabished in 1856. when the foreign made ar
tcle sold for $3.50 per square foot. The tar
if on similar quality Of glass is now 80
cents per foot, and the price has steadily
lowered until il is now - cents per square
foot
pig iron in 1860 sold for 2275 per ton.
With tariff of $G.72 per ton it now sells for
SIS
steel rails were first made here in 1861,
when the price was SlG6 per ton. The tariff
has been as high as SIS per ton and IS now
ST. Steel rails are now quoted at S3l, and
have sometimes been lower.
a favorite plea of free traders IS that
poor mans blanket; would be sold for one
half its present price, when the fact is prices
for blankets OF equal quality are about the
same in the United States and England.
Here is the proof Last year the Secretary
of War invited bids for supplying army
blankets of four pounds weight, and allow
ed foreigners TO compete on the same terms
as American manufacturers that is without
paying the tariff The lowest British bid
was only thirty cents per blanket less than
that of an American. The tariff, if it had
been charged. would be about Sl.50. Our
free trade Cabinet officer gave the contract
to the foreigner who pays no taxes and buys
nothing in this country. instead Of fayoring
the American, who supplies work TO hun
drels of people and otherwise adds to the
wealth of our country. The money from
our national Treasury went TO a foreign
country, and American soldiers are TO sleep
under British blankets because they can be
made in England for 80 cents less than in
this country.
"An here is some testimony from tie
other side Matthew Arnold, the eminent
English scholar, statesman and free trade adj
vocate, recently deceased, last year made a
tour of this country, and afterward gave his
conclusions in the NiaefeeaG Ccatiry Haga-
zine april, ISSS.) In this paper the writer
admits that conditions in the United States
are favorable to that immense class of peo-
pie whose incomes are less than 81 800 a
year, while in England the advantage is
greatly in favor of those with incomes above
that sum OF wages he says The humber
kind of work is better paid in America than
with Us, the higher kind worse. IHxuries
are as ! have said, very dear-above all,
clothing is nearly as cheap as in England
and plain food is on the whole cheaper