Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-04-11

schedule, and this reduction was only made
possible by placing wool on the free list.
There is no greater reason for duty on
wool than there is for duty on any other
raw material. A duty on wool makes it
necessary to impose higher duty on the
goods made from wool, and the consumer
has to pay double tax. If we leave wool
untaxed the consumer has to pay tax only
on the manufactured goods.
1t is commended by some that if we put
wool on the free list we should also put
woollen goods on the free list. If this is
sound policy we should also put cotton
goods on the free list, for raw cotton is
free, and we should put silk goods on the
free list, for raw silk is free.
Then where would the government get
its revenuesP
OBTAIN REVENUE WITH THE LEAST BURDEN,
Duties are imposed to raise revenue, and
they should be SO imposed as to obtain the
revenue with as little burden as possible to
the taxpayer and as little disturbance as
possible to the business of the country. This
is accomplished by imposing the duty on
the finished goods alone, and in no tariff,
from the first to the last, have woollens, cot.
tons, silks or linens been placed on the free
list.
We say to the manufacturer, we have put
wool on the free list to enable him to obtain
foreign woods cheaper, make his goods
cheaper and send them into foreign markets
end successfully compete with the foreign
manufacturer.
We say to the laborer in the factory, we
have put wool on the free list so that it NAV
be imported and he may be employed to
make the goods that are now made by for
eign labor out of foreign woods and import
ed into the United States.
We say to the consumer, we have put
wool on the free list that he may have
woollen goods cheaper.
We say to the domestic wool grower, we
have put wool on the free list to enable the
manufacturer to import foreign wool to mix
with his and thus enlarge his market and
quicken the demand for the consumption of
home wool, while it lightens the burden OF
the x-payer.
the better classes of wool from coming into
the country. The domestic production can
supply only about one-half of the amount
required for home consumption. The stat
istician of the Agricultural Department puts
the domestic product for the year 1887 at
285. 900 pounds. Others place it higher, but
none at more than half the annual oonsump-
ton of our people. 1t requires about 6O0,-
900, 900 pounds of wool and other fbres
manufactured with it, which are now pay
ing duty, to supply the annual demands of
home consumption.
CHEAPER CLOTHING.
Why, then, should we keep out by high
duties the foreign woods so necessary to the
people? The Wool Growers Association
ask us to put on duty high enough to pre-
vent the importation of all woods. The
Wool Manufacturers Association ask us to
put on duty high enough to keep out all
manufactures of wool.
If Congress grants this joint request what
are the people to do for woollen clothing?
Are the people to be compelled by Con-
gress to wear cotton goods in the winter or
90 without to give bounties to wool growers
and wool manufacturers
During the last fiscal year there were
ia, 404, 173 pounds of wool imported, and
of that amount S1,504, AT were cheap
carpet wool, the greater part of which paid
q cents per pound duty. The high duty
duty of 10 cents per pound on the finer
woods that go Into clothing was so great a
barrier against the Importation of the better
woods that only 33,099,696 pounds were
imported. But our people required cloth
ing, and if Congress put duty so high on
wool as to keep it out, still, high rs was
the duty on woollen goods, $44, 235, 243
worth were imported and consumed in
this country, upon which duties were paid
amounting to $40, 729,717.
If the charges constantly being made are
true-that great quantities of these goods
are coming in undervalued, underweighed
and unmeasured-then the aggregate
amount is much larger.
FRAUDS FOLLOW PRoHIBIToRF DUTIES.
Frauds of this character, smuggling and
bribery, follow prohibitory duties just as
the shadow follows the substance. These
goods for the most part could be manufac-
tured in the United States, and if the woods
in them could be admitted free of duty it
would give employment to many thousands
of our own Operatives, start into life and
keep in active operation many Of our facto-
ries now idle and largely reduce the cost of
these goods to the consumers.
We must find a way to foreign markets
for our woolIen goods. In the foreign
market we must compete with thu foreign
producer, and in order to do so successfully
we must produce our goods at lower cost
and be able to undersell the foreign prod
uct and take the market. We are now ex-
porting less than 100000 worth of wool
len goods, while England, with free wool,
exports more than 500, 900, 900. With free
wool we may not only supply the home
market with the greater part of the wool
len goods now imported, but we con begin
to export woollen goods and soon build up a
prosperous foreign trade.
In the woollen schedule we have substi-
tuted ad valorem for specific duties. The
specific duty is the favorite of those who
are to be benefited by high rates, who are
protected against competition and protected
in combinations against the consumers of
their products. There is a persistent pres
sure by manufacturers for the specific duty,
because it conceals from the people the
amount of taxes they are compelled to pay
to the manufacturer. The specific duty al
WAYS discriminates in favor of the costly
article and against tue cheaper one, and
therefore it imposes heavier burden as it
goes down from the highest priced articles
to the lowest. This discrimination is pecu-
liarly oppressive in woollen and cotton
goods, which ars neoessaries of life to all
classes of people.
INEQUALITIES OF TIE WOOL TARIFF.
The report then gives table showing
duties at present rates on woolen goods and
explains =.
This table is we'll worthy of careful study
In examining the figures given the column
headed "price at factory" and the column
headed ''per cent of price at factory"
which the to'al duty amounts to, the start
ling inequalities in the rate of duty to be paid
in this cmntry become apparent. The high
est priced goods named in the table is West
of England broadcloth, worth $500 per
yard in Leeds, the specific duty being 30
cents per pound aud the ad valorem duty 40
per cent, making total duty of so 8 per
cent on the value at the factory. This is
on high grade of goods.
In looking at the bottom of the table the
last entry is for cotton warp reversible cloth,
made in imitation of better kind. It is
worth but 45 cents per yard at the factory
The specific duty is the same as on the West
of England b:oadcloth 50 cents per pound.
the ad valorem duty is 35 per cent, bat the
specific duty and the ad valorem duty to-
gether make the rate On the price at the
factory 1907 per cent. That is to say, the
cheaper the goods at the factory the greater
is the proportional increment of duty. The
column headed ''per cent. of price at
factory" which shows the percentage that
the duty is of the factory price, brings this
out clearly.
The above table shows the true nature CT
the specific duties, and the consumer can
see why it is that manufacturers clamor for
+lo,, Thau kpou tho diffaropt voluac of