The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-18
A 0AE-S|DED MEASURE.
The Mckinley Tariff Law Framed
With But One Object
in View.
It Was to Increase the Prof
it's Of the Rich Man
ufacturers.
And 1t 10 Doing Its Work Right Along
and With the Very Greatest
Success.

When Mckinley and his republican asso-
ciates were making up the tariff bill, they
did not call in any representatives of the
workingmen to find out what that class
thought about the matter. They called in
the manufacturers, however, and received
from the protected few explicit instructio on.
as to how the bill should be framed to com
pei all classes, and n4ore particularly til,
working people, to pay more money for al
they consumed. The workingman had moi
contributed to the republican campaign
fund; the manufacturer had. Hence the
discrimination, and all along the line the
consumer is taxed without reference &c
anything except beneftting the manufac.
turer.
The Helena organ of the trusts figures
out that the duty on tin is only raised lit
tie over one cent pound and the weight OF
workingman's dinner pail is not over one
pound; and therefore that the tariff on tin
plate will only increase the cost of that
dinner pail to the amount of the
Helena, which deals IN timed ware.
has just received an invoice of good 8. It
was purchased about the time that the new
tariff law went into effect. There was no
come in under the increased duty. Still the
new invoice showed an advance Of eight to
1213 per cent over previous prices. In adj
dltion to the increase in the price Of tin and
stamped ware for household use, roofing
tin has advanced from 81 to 50 per SQUARE,
The merchant who received this invoice
had an intimation at the same time that the
full advance on tin goods had not yet been
made, and that more is to come. This
same gentleman has something to tell about
hardware that may be instructive to the
tariff organs which have been trying to cry
down the effects of the Mckinley law. The
agent of big eastern hardware house was
in his place the other day. The CONVERSE
ton turned naturally on the advance in the
price OF hardware. "The present advance
cent. But when the present stock Of for
eign goods is exhausted, the price will go up
fur her, and it will 70 up to stay. You
must make up your mind that you will
have to accept American cutlery, for the
tariff is prohibitory: The stock of our
$1O9 since the new tariff went into effect,
in anticipation of the enhanced profits we
will make"
''This MEANS" said the merchant with
whom the conversation was held, in speak
ing of it afterwards, 'that We will have to
accept whatever the American manufactur-
er chooses to give us and at whatever price
he sees Mt to ask. Foreign cutlery being
barred out by the tariff, the American man.
ufaot1rer can reduce the grade Of his goods
will be gradual, as it would not be good
business policy to make the increase all in
lump. But when IL reaches top figures it
will be there to stay
The crockery men and the glass manufac-
turers were particularly favored by the
trainers of the Mckinley law. There seems ms
to have been but one idea in dealing with
the crockery schedule, and that was to ben
cit the manufacturer. 1t made no differ
ence who paid the bill. The man with
plenty of money can get the foreign article
yet If he does not mind paying the increased
cost made necessary by the duty. People
of small or moderate means must use the
American article. This of itself would be |
no hardship, if it were not for the fact that
the prohibition against the foreign ware is
going to allow the American fac
without danger of being s0't undanr a,oSa
by imported goods. American made pot
terry can be made good enough for anybody
to use. While prices were reasonable here
tofore the potteries all made money.
just how the tariff on pottery will work
ls best told by one who is in the business
The junior member of the firm of Pitkin n
Brooks, of Chicago, a concern which does
big business with Montana merchants, saws;
The potters IN this country could make
money without the present high rate of duty
IT they would employ the. same business
principles which foreign po.ters observe, or,
for that matter, If they would use the or
binary methods of other business men,
Under high protective tariff they have not
first class goods, and they have been CON.
tent to take their profits in an easy going
fashion. They do not need sny bet
ter protection than they have had. ,
In fact they have had too much. What
the people and the crockery trade need ia !
in ri! will Az.
American potters to make the quality and
variety of goods We need. If the tariff bill !
was passed for the purpose of improving
the manufacture of crockery in the country {
It IS q nat failure. There will be no improve
nent in American made pottery while the
tariff remains where it is ut present. There
are certain lines of imported goods that we
are Obliged to have simply because our man.
will not make them. They are
satisfied to make cheap goods, and ask for
ware of foreign make. The tax is heaviest
on the cheaper class of goods and it is paid
BY the working classes chiefly. The finer
goods. which our potters will not make, be-
cause they are 30 highly protected on the
cheaper grades, are not taxed SO heavily.
These goods we must have to supply our e
trade, and if the tariff was still higher we {
should have to buy them just the same, /
The only excuse for the present tariff"
say the manager of Burley 4 Tyrrell, Chi
CokO, ID tuht u O000uI6 GQo manufacturers
Of crockery. 1t does that at the expense of =
The consumer and dealer too. The Ameri- 1
can potsers do not need any more protec- 7
ton than they have had. in fact they have 9
had too much. Raw material can be had !
here as cheap as abroad. and with low
tariff any American potter who understands !;
his business can make money. They do !
not try to make good ware in this country
simply because the high tariff encourages =
them to make fpoor goods. On the cheap !
ware the tariff Is most severe. The foreign
potters are forced by natural competition
to make good crockery of great variety.
They are constantly getting up special de-
signs, which are purchased here because we .
want Just such variety. In glassware, which !
everybody uses, the tariff is now 60 per cent.
which is an advance of Ii per cent. on the
old rate. Chimnsys, lamps, glass dishes
and all sorts of cheap glassware must go up.
Inc manufacturers can now raise the price
on us and, doubtless will do 90, and we will {
be forced to raise the price to the con- ,
Dumer."
The manufacture of glassware is an old
industry in America. For years, when the
tariff was much lower than it is now, the
factories run night and day so as to reap
the profits made possible by even q moder-
ate duty. Now the manufacturers have
been given more protection, though raw
material is no higher and the wages of the
glass blowers are lower than they were
some years ago. But the tariff ia SO high
that foreign glassware of the cheaper varie-
ties will be shut out of the American mar
kot This will give the laroo ulsas hcrsae , |