Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20

paw Mckinley prices for his ciotnlng
and other necessaries of life, and then
mock him by telling him his money is
still in the country.
HOW MUCH 1T COSTS
Every Man Works Forty Days For Pro-
The average taxation of each person
in the United States for the support OF
the National Government can be pretty
accurately estimated Lsborers on
farms and in the mechanical arts re-
ceive on an average 81 per day. David
A Wells points ont that as the appro-
priations of the recent Congress were
$3.50. 600. 900, it will be necessary for the
laborers of this country to do 800, 0ooS
600 days work to pay this enormous
amount
How many people are there to do this
WORK? According to the census of 1880
there was a total of Il. S92, 099 engaged
in all employments in this country
This includes everybody of both sexes
engaged in agriculture, professional
services, trade and transpor tation. maue
ufacturing and mining. Assuming thsS
the number has now Increases to 200
600. 600, which can not be far from the
mark, how many days labor doss each
one of this vast array contribute %
Uncle Sam?
Precisely twenty-three days, whicAs 60
81 per day is equal to SIS
This calculation deals cJHly with the
money that actually goes into the
treasury, including the INTERNAL rev.
enue tax. In order to get at the tariff
tax paid by each man, it VITA be neces-
sary to make the calculation on the
revenue derived from imports only
emitting the internal revenue tax, and
taking account of the increased cost OF
domestic products by reason of protecS
i've duties
The duties to be paid to the Govern
ment on imports under the Mckinley
bill are estimated to be about 5000, o00s
600 year. This would require SIe OF
ten days work, from each Of tie 20, O00.-
600 workers But this ten days work
does not represent the whole annual
cost of protection BY far the larger
part of the commodities we consume
are made in this country, and very many
of them are bought by the people at an
artificial tariff price. We manufacture
every year not less than three billion
dollars worth of goods OF all kinds,
while we imported last year only Sf4l.s
600. 600 worth. of which e4Sz OOe. 0oe
worth was dutiable.
Now, how much is the price q hons
manufactured articles increased by Che
protective tariff? No man knsws pre-
cisely; it is too vast q problem Davi&
A Wells has shown that che extra cost
TO us of iron and steel by reason Of the
tariff is S56, 000 600 Q year. This esSis
mate is reached by taking the pricsg
and quantities consumed in this country
and comparing them with the prices il
England We have imported during
the past three years an average Of about
| S45. 10000 worth Of. iron, stesl ana
manufactures thereof, paying into tho
treasury an average duty Of about 60
per cent which equals about SIS, 900, COO
a year. Here then is basis for q cal
culation. The treasury gets $4,000. 600
and the protected manufacturers gee
S56, 00o, GOO That is to say, for every doh
lar that the Government gets the manus
facturers get little more than S..
Assuming that this proportion holds
good in other lines of commodi ties, &c
can make rough estimate of what pres
| lection costs the people
1t has just been shown that the $afi&
tax under the Mckinley bill 10 abogs
| soc, 600, 600 a year Here then is She
total yearly cost Of protection:
Manufacturers three times
much-------------- 500. 900
Total .s03, GOO COO
Each laborer therefore works every
year:
Dava
For Government---------- 10
or manufacturcrS---------- 80
Total ............ ....--.-. -
This is a very reasonable estimate. 70
shows what a terrible snake in thu
grass protection is Here we have
nearly seven weeks labor taken frou,
the workers of the land every year Is
not that a sufficient explanation of
farm mortgages and many other hard
ships?
The most OF the matter, however, -
that this 20 days labor is not borne by
all the workers. Protection not only
lets some of them 60 free. but actually
sets the others to working for these