Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-07-03
EXPORT DISCOUNTS.
THE LATEST FREE-TRADE BUBBLE
HAS FINALLY BURST.

A Deceptive List of discounts for Ex-
port Only'-Exposed by The Cleveland
Leader-Domestio Discounts In Every
Case Greater Than Export Discounts.
The Free-trade press have blown an
unusually large bubble Of late, but like
all Free-trade bubbles it has finally burst.
The whole matter was so well presented
by Congressman Smyser, Of Ohio, in the
house of representatives recently that
we copy it as printed in The Congress
sional Record:
Mr.. Smyser-Mr. Chairman, 1 happen
to have a newspaper article commenting
upon what has been referred to by the
gentleman from Missouri Mr.. Mansur) as
discounts for export only" The Cleve-
land Plain Dealer Of the 18th of this
month took up this subject of discounts
for export only" and published the fol-
lowing:
''In the late issue Of The Engineering
and Mining Journal are thirty-nine
closely printed columns of advertise
ments Of articles upon which our manu-
facturers offer discounts for export only
On the average the foreigner gets them
about 80 per cent. off the wholesale
prices to Americans. Here are some dis
counts to foreigners which the farmer
will be interested In. as the figures rep
resent the excess paid to the manufact-
urers by the dealers, who charge the
farmer a profit and percentage on the
difference also. Foreigners buy rakes at
20 per cent discount from wholesale
prices charged Americans; drills, 80 per
cent; scythes, 40; hatchets, 30; table
knives, %; shears, go; feed cutters, 30;
grinding Liills, 25, barn door hangers,
80; sheaves, 80; wrenches, %; vises, so;
washtubs, 25; lawn mowers, 60; scroll
saws, 25I water motors, 40; nails and
tacks. 90 and 70S post hole diggers, 40;
oil stoves, 80, common farm pumps, 70;
wood screws, 90; screw drivers, 70; ham
mers, picks and adzes, so; planes, 40;
whifaetrees, 45; windmills, 40 McKin-
ley's plan is to make the difference still
greater"
Now, in reply to that article, The
Cleveland Leader Of May IA states what
is the fact andwhat the gentleman from
Missouri will find to be the truth when
he investigates this matter more thor
oughly.
"a more false and contemptible at
tack on American manufacturers was
never published. 1t Is absolutely afro
cious in its abominable perversion of the
truth. The only possible apology for
such misstatements that can be offered
Is to plead degree of ignorance that
absolutely units the author for discuss
ing any public matters.
"The Engineering and Mining Journal
of May did contain nineteen columns
of matter, not advertisements, descrip-
tive Of manufactured articles suitable
for export, with the list Of prices there
Of and the discounts for export only
1t was little scheme of The Journal to
promote foreign trade, and manufactur-
ers were invited to make use of The
Journals columns for that purpose free
of charge.
son the basis Of the statement that
the discounts are for export only The
Plain Dealer recklessly and wickedly-
for ignorance Is not justification where
the facts were so easily ascertainabls-
asserts that it Is proposed to sell these
goods to foreigners at prices 25 to 20 per
cent. less than they are sold to Ameri-
cans, in other words, that American
farmers and other home consumers are
charged this difference above what fo--
eigners are asked to pay, with the retail
ers' profits and percentages on the excess
added. 1t Is amazing that any one
should believe such thing possible,
much more 50 to publish It without
careful investigation How plain tale
shall put that Free-trade falsehood down
our readers may now see.
ga representative of The Leader yes
terday called upon oneof the most prom
inent hardware and agricultural imple-
ment dealers In this city, and showing
him the srticletn The Journal asked
him to state what discounts were al
lowed to him by the manufacturers OF
the Identical articles described. This
merchant is a. Democrat and tariff re-
former and The Plain Dealer can have
bis name, but not for publication, if it
desires to investigate the accuracy Of the
to follow. The figures to be
given may also be verified by calling on
any local dealers In the articles men
toned. The list Of articles compared
was very large, but we shall confne the
here made mainly to those
named in The Plain Dealer
"In The Journal manufacturer Of
steel and malleable iron garden rakes Of
fers them at discount of 10 per cent
for export only The same manufact-
1rer sells them to the Cleveland dealer
1t discount Of 20 and s. equivalent
10 I'll per cent. of. He offers scythes
for export only at 4Oand 10 off, equiv
slent to a discount of 4s per cent, and
10 the Cleveland dealer the same goods
at 80 and off, equal to discount of
52i per cent. The same manufacturer
offers the 'Chieftain' horse rake No.
at 40 of for export only while to the
Cleveland merchant be allows 80, 10
md 24 off, discount of 56f per cent.
rom the list price. The discount on
latchets for export only is 30 per
,ent-. and to the American dealer 80,
o and g., equal to SIT per cent
'On table knives and shears the dis
cunts offered are the same for export
My and to the home merchant. Aman-
.facturer Of feed cutters offers his No.
= with two 81 inch knives, at 1850
'er cent. off for export only and the
cleveland merchant buys the same cut
er for $40 net. The manufacturer OF
.rinding mills allows the home dealer 10
er cent. more discount than the foreign
ealer. Barn door sheaves and hangers
re offered 30 off for export only and
0 off to the home trade. The discounts
n wrenches and vises are the same In
9th cases, and on lawn mowers also.
For export only scroll saws are offer
d at 90 to 25 off, while the Cleveland
merchant is allowed 25 to 80. The dis
ount on nails and tacks is 10 per cent.
more to the home than to the foreign
ealer. But there Is no need of further
the comparisons In not q
ingle case In the whole list Is larger
iscount offered 'for export only than
o the American dealer, and in most
o.-s, %l,.> lot 10 a110x.,s,i 1orcrar dia-