New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-20
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GREAT TAKERS.


the House "to leave off making damnable faces
and begin" They have spent two months IN
Dragging about the terrific revolution they
were going to bring about in many industries
by altering the tariff. But in two months thcy
have done nothing but bag, and the world mas
the minimum of fear for dogs with the maxi
mum Of bark. II was assumed from the first
that Mr.. Mills could get his own consent 10
offer the bill which had been framed by himself
with Messrs. Cleveland Carlisle and falrchiid.
The question was whether he could get the as
sent of majorlty in the House. 80 lar he has
not been able to get his own consent TO ohcr
the bill. bnt he cannot stop talking about IL
long enough to do anything. and so he tells the
woolIen manufacturers at Providence in d
speech on Saturday night that owe. arc going
tou make wool free of duty. Possibly but at
all events Mr.. Mills cannot do it at Providence
or by the votes of Rhode Island
Mr.. Mills states that last year eve imported
so 900 900 pounds Of woollen goods taxing
four pounds Of the raw material to one pound
of the manufactured product. The equvaieh'
of the sOOOO.OOO pounds OF goods was
900 900. 600 pounds of raw material, MADE up
in foreign countries to the exclusion OF INC
home manufacture Suppose you take down
your barriers and let the 800 100000 POUNDS
n raw wool come in" How delighted Rhode
Island manufacturers must be to get so much
valuable in formation The fact is that we ana
not import SOOO000o pounds OF forcisn
woolen goods last year. Dcductlng rags
waste and yarn, all the goods of which weight
is officially stated weighed 100000 pounds,
and all the other goods were valued at
100000 If Mr.. Mills can show that other
goods worth S18 100000 were in weight
$500. 900 pounds, or less than the average
cost per pound of imported rags. he had better
hurry back to Providence and instruct the
manufacturers some more. They need to DO
enlightened, also. if it takes four pounds OF
raw wool, on the average. to make pound OF
goods.
But the country expects laundering from
Mr.. Mils's party and has made up its mind to
endure that with such eqanimity as 1t may
command. What it wants is that these FREQ
Traders should stop frightening industry To
death by their threats and begin doing some
thing-ther very worst, if they like. II there
had not been a prevailing faith that Mr.. Mills
was going to prove greater failure even than
Mr.. Morrison in getting anything done, wool
would not now be selling at 32 cents for Ohio
fleece, or iron at S22 so per ton, or rails at
S3l SO. The steel rails imported last year
averaged S21 10 per ton in cost in foreign
ports, which with SIT duty would make them
worth S3S 70 without any freight insurance
or profits. Yet 1888 tons were imported,
because at a vast number of points rails can be
delivered at less cost than American rails
which have to be transported thither by rail.
Taking Sc off the duty would only multiply
many times the points at which the foreign
could exclude the home products from the
market How much that would depress the
price it is not easy to say. but it is obvious that
the men who are buying do not believe Mr..
Mills will get anything done.
What is the trouble in business, then
Simply this. that there are a great many other
people who do believe that Mr.. Mills, Mr..
Carlisle and Mr. Cleveland can get bill passed
In that belief they defer purchases. In conse-
ouence mills and mines. factories and work
shops, lack orders and have to stop. The result
is depression, losses of millions every month
to laborers and to employers. and ultimate
less also to the people who will have to buy
" hen the market is crowded with orders. That
has been the experience year after year, ever
since the free-trade Democrats gained power.
They have agitatcd every winter, long enough
to cost the country many millions and then
have gone home disgraced by their incapacity.