Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-07-31
OUR HOME PRODUCTION.
IMPOSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN WITHOUT
A PROTECTIVE TARIFF.

to create Industries, increase production
and cheaper the cost of the product let
us produce few facts in our industrial
history both in periods of high and low
tariff and note the corresponding eff
fects
During our colonial history we were
prohibited by law from making even a
horseshoe nail, so of necessity we were
dependent upon foreign nations for our
manufactured commodities for some
time after our national existence began,
for manufactures require both capital
and skilled worknen. We had neither.
England controlled our markets both as
buyer and seller, and she resolved to re-
tain them at all hazards.
As soon as our manufactures started,
under small protective tariff she glut-
ted the market with her goods at re-
duced rates till we were compelled to
close out, when she raised the price to
suit herself. During the period from
1869, when the French, English and
for time our own embargo acts cut 6ff
the foreign supply, our factories started
again, only to be again closed by the in
fux of foreign goods when the embargo
was removed The war of 1S12-15 gave
the same incentive to manufacturing,
but it ended with like disastrous results
to the business interests of the country.
What was lacking was sufficient and
permanent incentive to develop our in
dustries This the tariff Of 1924 afford
ed, the effect of which is well summed
up by Henry Clay in speech in the SEN
ate, February, 1882:
"If were to select any term Of seven
years since the adoption of the constitu-
ton which exhibited a scene of the most
widespread dismay and desolation it
would be exactly that term of seven years
which Immediately preceded the estab-
lishment of the tariff in 1924. If the
term of seven years were to be selected
of the greatest prosperity which this
people have enjoyed it would be exactly
that period of seven years which imme-
diately followed the passage of the tariff
of 1924. And is the fact not indisputa
bic that all essential objects of consump-
ton affected by that tariff are cheaper
and better since the act of 1924 than
they were for several years prior to that
lawY'
Before the tariff of 1928 English axes
sold here for from 81 to$4. By the tariff
duty of 30 per cent. was levied on axes.
In 1886 foreign and home made axes were
selling side by side at from $1.25 to $1.35
each, and in 1876 they sold for 80 cents
each, decrease to one-quarter of the
price of 1928, as result of home indus
tries fostered by protective tariff
In 1910 the English furnished us our
saws at from S15.75 to $40 per dozen;
\ with tariff of 45 per cent. on saws they
sell at from So to $40 per dozen, which
is saving of one-half in the price of
saw to every farmer and mechanic. Be
sides, the superior methods which we
have devised in the manufacture of saws
enable US to undersell England in her
own markets.
Hon. George NJ. Dallas in a speech in
the senate Feb. 81, 1912, said: ''The re-
duction of prices was necessary conse-
quence of the domestic competition Gre
ated and excited by the policy of Protec-
ton. Since 1S1S-19-20 the implements
of husbandry have sunk in prices thus:
Axes from $24 to $12 by the dozen. Iron
hoes at so per dozen have given way to
steel ones at 81 per dozen. Socket shov-
els, once sold at $12 per dozen, now sell
at $3.50; iron vises, once at 30 cents per
pound, now at 10 cents. Braziers' rods,
imported In 1921 at 1918 per ton, are now
made at S130. Steam engines have actu-
ally since 1928 fallen 80 per cent. in
price, while at the same time the amount
of material and labor of which they are
composed has nearly doubled" This re-
duction in the cost of necessary imple
ments was brought about under duty
of 35 per cent on iron and steel.
What has been its effect on other In
dustries? Crockery, which in 1853 with
no duty sold at 1858 crate. now sells
for $3.50, with duty of 40 per cent,
the goods in each case being the same
grade and hand made. An importer of
such goods testified before the tariff
commission: 81 have here a tumbler,
known to the trade as a whisky tumbler.
Six years ago. when American manufac-
turers commenced to make them, they
were imported by the case at $1.40 per
dozen. We made some; the first price
was $1.25. They now sell for 40 cents"
The duty levied was 40 per cent; as a
result we had the article for 16 cents less
than the duty upon the original cost BE-
fore home production began. Not only
has the price decreased, but large in
dustry has been built up which employs
thousands of men and millions of capital,
making a home market for our products
and increasing the wealth of the country.
Frem 1928 -33 the duty on nails was 5
cents a pound; in 1928 nails sold at s
cents; in 1888 at cents, cent less
than the duty.
Before the tariff of 1860 steel for loco
motive tires cost 80 cents per pound; to-
day, with tariff of 2t cents per pound,
they are selling for 81 cents. Wagon
tires which sold for 16 cents per pound.
with no duty, now sell for cents with
duty of 2 cents per pound.
When the English controlled our
market they sold US cast steel for III
cents per pound, which they now sell US
at 10s cents, although in their near
market in France they get 12A cents for
the same article. The reason is that the
duty of 45 per cent. has so developed our
Industries that we control our market
and fix the price cents lower than it Is
in France, and the English must sell at
our price or not at all.
If the duty of 8 cents does not cheaper
the commodity to US why does he sell
the same goods in France for 2 cents
more than here? What would he charge
us if we had no steel works to compete
with him? When the tariff was removed
in 1916 iron rails were selling at $50; the
English Immediately reduced the price
to $40 until our mills were closed; then
they advanced the price to $50, finally
TO $75 ton. Between 1850 and 1854
England sold us 100000 tons at SIS, all
which we might have produced with a
tariff of $40 and kept the price down to
$50 and saved $aO,0OO,OOO to American
railroad owners In 1867 steel rails sold
at $166 currency; with no tariff we pro-
duced but 2. 217 tons.