National Republican., 1888-02-25
Customs duties DO Not Incre ase Prices.

customs Duties DO Not Increase Prices.
Senator Brown, Of Georgia, in recent
srrument for the repeal OF the internal
revenue taxes, said that an 'semnent rev.
clue reformer" had lately declared that
the duty levied on imported goods was a
tax paid by the consumer, which proposi-
ton Senator Brown vigorously combatted.
As an illustration that duty Is not tax
paid BY the consumer, but one divide be-
tweeL Lin and the producer 10 tho bsglu-
ling OF the duty, ana finally paid entirely
iy the producer, We take the duty on pig
iron.
In 1868 the duty on pig ion was;;G per
ton, aud the average price Of the imports
that fiscal year was Sii.04 pc. ton. In 1854
tie Guty was raised to 30 per toa, and the
imp"rt@;ious cost an average Of fl3.i1.
Thu 1t will be seen that with duty OF 81
Yer ton the average cost To the consumer
would te 50 Oi, while, with a duty OF -
per ton, the averag. cost to the consumer
was !9l 60. This shows tlat while this duty
ar tax, ds that eminent revenue refurmers
VCs!Ie II, was increased - the consumer
Oily paid 81 81 on this increase the PRO.
"uctrpGying tue remainder.
Beetle which, II is q notorious fact, thai
when LONE production Is fustered to such
al tNfrut that the market is principally sup
l'iru Iy the home products, the foreign
JGaLGiarLurer reduces hts prices, so that
E:,tr pGyiug the duty no matter what 1t
Ma! he, he is enabled to import into our
~'maIk.t and compete with our home manu-
ikc'urer.
1Lis Is often done at Il serious loss to the
foreign manufacturer, and continued, II
POSSIBLE, until the competition OF the home
manufacturer is broken down, and then the
foreigner raises his prices to make up for
the lOstes previously entailed. On this sub
i'ct We refer to the following report made
~ Mr.. II. seymour Tremenheere, q com-
missioner appointed by the English ps"!iA-
M.Lt TO inquire into the condition OF the
MiG!ng districts Of Great Britain in ISL.
He says;
believe that the laburDg classes generally
IL The manufacturing districts OF this Country,
and especially IN the iron aud coal districts
are very little aware OF the extent to which
they oiten indebted for their being eul.
p!oyed at all TO the i@Rcasc losses which their
employers voluntarily incur in bad times in
order TO destroy foreign competition and to
gam snd keep possession OF foreign markets
Authentic Instances are well known OF en,-
D!oyeTs having IN such times carried on their
MCtks al loss amounting in the aggregate to
tbrc or four hundred thousand pounds IN the
''ultc Of as many years.
As far back as 1915 Lord Brougham said
ID ,t,h house Of commons:
IiNa. wei! worth while To incur u loss upon
~, hi'leA AporINuon, IN order, ny the glu', 10
''i' u, he 'rdd'' those I.siug manufactures in
uu Ila'rd states wHl'h the war had forced
iLiu Ais,cur- contrary ~ the natural course
"iltials,
YAtse are facts known TO all bat I" Em-
E.Ut Revenue Reiornlrrs,n who seen ~ Dr
jgtcrart Of the elementary principles when
govern trade UuI commerce. Mr. luhu
BulmCf, VINO was senator Of the Caltea
= states from Maine during the years from
1870 70 1898, said in a speech before tle
Senate in 1882
!i epy one rule mare than another is u be
relied on il is this that, aS su)n as protection
t'Cus 10 operate, aud IN proportion to H. op.
grafton. The tax Is rejected back from the con.
',I"cg 70 the producer. Iake me case OF har
mon ~ the years lsls i>2i and l-30, when the
iHllts Of lslG, 1924, aud l,2s were in full opera.
ton, reCur 10 the price current IN Boston,
MID select for an example 'Old Sable" In
ls.s the duty was 81 per ton, aud the price, in.
ciud4ng the duty, s!Qi. In 1926, duty, SIS;
price, including duty, sl0D. In 1880, duty,
the duty has been e.Bstautly Increasing, the
TflCe OF the article taxed has been constantly
diminishing The reason is as manifest as the
iCct is true-the domestic Article has been in
aIcasiIg in quantity Suppose the foreign
manufacturer furnished three.fOurshs of your
consumption, the greater quantity would com.
IoEBd the price, and this tax would fall on the
consumer. Bnt let the domestic product iu-
Hrctte to one'Lslt the competition between
fITElrI nj ln
eCGiliS'd, hnd the tax VIII b. divided between
tbe JTCCCc'T ara The consumer. Let the do
In.uIo poGgct Lc tlieC ioUfthg ard yOlr own |