New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-23
HOW FREE TRADE OPERATES.
THE EFFECT PRODUCED UPON QUNINE.
WHY TRADE IN THE DRUG Is PRACTICALLY
r-.r ,-,r-,,,r ON ppoMrNrNr nEArrRS

WHY TRADE IN THE DRUG Is PRACTICALLY
DEAD-VIEwS OF PROMINENT DEALERS
To show what free trade would do for every article
OF American manufacture the case of qulnine which
was put Oh the free list in 1879, may be cited as
shining example To-day the article Is no cheaper
than It would have been II the duty OF 20 per cent
had not been taken of, and the trade IN cinchona
bark no longer exists because the manufacture OF
qinine is practically dead There are nomlnany
four houses In the United States that MANUFACTURE
qunlne, but it believed that, in fact, there are at
most two, and probably only 1t IS the common
opinion of the drug trade that most of the qunine
sold in this country is made abroad though it pears
American labels, and that IL cannot be made here
except at loss under present circumstances. Inc
trade in quinne has undergone complete revolution
From being, few years ago. q rare and costly drug
the product Of which was much below the demand, IL
has become low only to pay for growing In such
countries Java, India and Ceylon, where laborers
paid from twelve TO eighteen cents day, and IN
spite of the enormously increased and augmenting
demand the supply Is still far in excess of the needs
Of the world.
When It's wonderful powers as a remedy for GER
tain diseases first discovered, Quinlne was
found only in Isolated portions Of South America,
and It required by the processes then employed from
fifteen days TO extract the drug from the bark
Now it is done in ten hours. The English planted
millions of the trees in CeylOn and India, and the
Dutch planted other millions Java and from being
worth % g6 In one ounce walls In London In 1877,
the price fell so cents for the best English make at
London In 1887. Manufacturers and dealers who
have given information to The Tribune reporter on
the subject were avorse to having their names
mentioned: but they all agree that IL was the IN
creased production of qunine and not the act OF Con-
gress taking of the duty which reduced the price OF
the drug And that it that act of Congress which
DESTROYED the manufacture Of quinne in this country
and gave ND the market inferior article the prod
uct Of foreign cheap labor. Before the duty was
taken Off the crude bark found market mere, as
high as 900 packages averaging 125 pounds 10 the
package having been sold here in single year. ms
Is all changed now, and II an American wholesale
druggist wants cinchona bark he must buy u either
at London or Amsterdam. More than fifteen million
hounds of the bark produced By the British and
Dutch plantations last year and brought to those
markets for sale.
II ruled high all over the world prior to 1879 and
has been diminishing price since then solely because
Of the increased supply, and not on account Oh 1he
20 per cent duty having been removed said one OF
tho manufacturers: The act was hurried through,
under suspension of the rules at the very close OF
the session. with undue haste, without debate, and
II went into immediate operation. It was the hrse
American manufacture assailed by the tree-trade
octopus and it effectually stranged- II IL hau
been lot alone it would have been more than douDieu
and IN 4 aourishlng condition to-day, and quinlne
would not have been appreciably deaier than it 49,
We do not Ike to say that the forejgn article Is IN
ferior to our own, but here is what L. E Atkinson,
Of Pennsylvania said in Congress recently on that
subject
Tho United States deserves no credit for the
reduction in price of this imported drug ana
ANYBODY that claims that putting quinine on tho
free list made the great reduction IN price falls lhto
a grave error The duty should never have been
removed 1t does the consumer no good IL inc
urice In London Is now so cents an ounce, and tho
duty of 20 Per cent to w.t. 10 cents an ounce, "oIo
added the increased cost would be lost in the course
of trade Few men take IN a life time loo grains
Of ouinne bus the duty that amount would 0e ony
1-2 cents a trle too ins gnifcant to consider BLU
the removal Of the duty has made us dependent upon
foreigners for our supply Of quInne. In 1873, oeloo
tho removal of the duty, We imported but l''o99
ounces; In 1873, the duty being Oh, we imported
COS 3As ounces and our importations IN 1oe1 were
3 20 81 ounces. When tho American supply Has
male In our own country IL came nom Manufacturers
who had reputation to maintain anu TnC can tell
whether what he buys IS aduIteraseu OF Iot. -.
pertments must be made upon SICK man 70 eeerino
how much foreign qulnne VIII prouuaso siSa no
suit With the pure article made In America ~
such experiments were necessary supmlb uas
when a man Is SICK good medicine, anu noe ene@D
medicine, Is what no wants , .,.., ..,,,s.
is selling to-day at from 3o To AZ cents an ouhIo
Though not protected while the foreign prOuuce Is
worth only 81 to 95 cents IN this market. BuI tle
ave age consumer will take the cheaper article WIN
out regard 20 It's quality and the fact that the IN
crease In imports for the last fiscal year aoun1eu w
400 900 ounces will give some idea OF the oIo" tnas
was struck by this specimen nee trade noc, o0S o
to ire American manufacturer and the American con-