Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-28
FREE TRADE IN ENGLAND.
An Historical Review OF Its Effect Upt
Business and IuIusfrv


Business and Industry.
In 1870 the House of Commons of Great
Britain appointed committee 'to inquire
into the several duties levied on imports
into the United Kingdom" The latter.
after some time spent in elaborate investi-
CATION of the subject, reported: "The
tariff of the United Kingdom presents
neither congruity nor unity of purpose (;
no general principles seem to have been
applied. The schedule of customs duties
enumerates no fewer than 1,150 rates Of
duties ehargeable ON imported articles"
Various manufactures were charged with
duties as follows: China and porcelain.
10 to 20 per cent; leather, 20 to 80 per
cent; brass and copper, % to 80 per cent !;
cotton, 10 to 20 per cent; fax, 20 to 40
per cent; sllk,30 per cent; and articles man
utactured from skins and furs, 70 per cent
The duty on corn, as prices ranged from
1850 to 1910, was Z to 30 cent, and on bar
iron, s. 30 per ton. From the foregoing
1t Will be seen that up until 1S4l what
ever of prosperity England enjoyed was
almost wholly due to protection
Indeed, Sir Robert Peel, in speaking of
the famous British Customs Act of 1912.
says: The general effect of it was to
simplify the existing law" and Gladstone
said . 1t was an attempt to make gem
eral approach to the following rules
a. the removal of prohibitions. (2)
The reduction of duties on manufactured
articles, and of protective duties generally
to an average Of 20 per cent. ad valorem.
(3) On partially manufactured articles to
rates not exceeding 10 per cent. "a On
raw materials, to rates not exceeding per
cent"
The Briti7h Tariff Acts of 1915 and
/ 1916 were similar in DRIFT, and repealed
, the duties on certain raw materials, of
which cotton was one and had borne a
dnty of about 6 per cent. These Acts re-
duced the duties ON silk manufactures
about 10 per cent; on cotton, linen and
wooden goods, wholly or in part made up,
to 10 per cent, while cotton linen and
WOODEN goods not made up were put on the
free list. Changes were also effected in
the duties of articles of food, and on
sugars especially the duties were reduced,
differentiated and gradually equalized
after 1851. By Act of Parliament, after
February l, lS49, the duty on corn wheat,
rye, oats and barley was placed at the sim
gle uniform rate of Is Il quarter (about SC
busheD, where it still stands.
Along about the time of the passage of
the latter Act Sir Robert Peel remarked :
" ! do not wish to abolish all protective
duties. On the contrary, the amended
tariff maintains many duties that are
purely protective, as distinguished from
revenue duties" In 1858 Gladstone eff
fected the passage of another Tariff Act, of
which he said it was: First, to abolish
altogether the duties which are unpro-
ductive, and in the next place to abolish
duties on articles of manufacture, as far as
considerations OF revenue will permit, ex-
cept such as are in the last stage of fin
ished articles. and are commonly connected
with hand labor
From 1888 to 1859, inclusive England
derived over 90 per cent. of her customs
revenue from duties ON sixteen articles.
These, in the order of their productiveness,
were; Sugar, tea, tobacco, spirits, wines,
timber, coffee, corn, silk, currants, fruit,
molasses, butter, tallow, cheese and seeds
From all other articles subject to duty she
| received less than nine per cent"
Now, let lis see how the net amounts of
, the customs duties collected on imports
| into the United Kingdom stood at the be-
ginning and ending of the two decades in
| tervening between 1889 and 1859:
CLASS OF IMPORTS. 1889. 1859
Articles in raw state. Sl0,5l91l5 Sl52S S95
| Articles partially manu-
featured .................. 5,22O,795 2,076, 4e5
Articles wholly manu-
factured .................. 1896, 260 3,032 575
| Articles of food ......... 9I,5lS7g5 1I6746,O5O
Articles other than above 9i9,795 l39 100
sl1O,6O4,7 100 sl23,522 635
The above gives fair synopsis of the
character and effects of the so-called free
trade" legislation of Great Britain up to the
time of the outbreak of our civil war