Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-06-10

since our protected manufacturers can
pay the freight and in many instances
the foreign tariff and still compete sue
cessfully in the foreign market?
An English tile manufacturer, OF
Shropshire, England, Mr.. I. ii. Hop
LEY, who is visiting relation on Short
Creek, and who is interested in the
Windsor Roofing Tile Co., stepped into
the REGISTER Office yesterday and bore
out the statement of Mr.. SCOTT regard
ing the ability Of American manu-
facturers TO compete with the English
and the absurditv of our tariff which
! does nothing but allow monopoies to
increase prices to American consumers.
Mr.. HOPLEY said the cost of living was
much cheaper in England than in the
United States, and he cited instances.
For beef, for which the American pays
from 1ac to zoe per pound, the English
man gets for 10c or 13c. 1t is so, also,
with bread, ham, cheese, clothing; in
fact, in buying all the necessaries Of
| life which the English government does
not tax, as ours does, the English work
ingman has the advantage Of his Amer
lean brother. His wages may not
amount to so much in actual
cash, but what he receives will
bun more. The English working
mans expenses for clothing him
self and family are from so to $50 per
cent less than the expenses of the Amer
lean for that purpose and his clothing
is better House rent is cheap to
the Englishman. "a house OF four
rooms, besides cellar and kitchen, and
with a yard, capable OF accommodating
the average workingman's family can
be had where l live" said Mr.. HoPLEY,
''for so cents week" Numerous other
instances were cited by Mr.. HOPLEY
showing how much greater was the pur-
chasing power of the English working
mans wages than that of the Ameri-
cans.
"But, Mr.. HoPLEY," asked his inter
viewer, ''if our high tariff hurts US and
our country so much, why are your
English capitalists so eager to invest
their money in protected American in
dustries?"
THAT is just the point" he replied.
''Your big tariff is very fine thing for
those who hold stock in your protected
industries, and we Englishmen who
have money to invest, are sharp enough
to see it. Your government, through
your tariff, taxes your people for the
benefit of your protected industries
that is, for the benefit of the owners Of
them, for your working men are in no
way protected. English capitalists real
ize the situation in the United
States, and are anxious to put
all the money they can in
protected American industries-in your
trusts and monopolies. They pay large
dividends and the investment is most
profitable. But" continued the gentle
man, "wherein does this benefit you
American people lohO do not hold trust
certificates or stock In your highly pro-
tected induStriesS That is the kernel of
your tariff question. Your tariff gives
few men a monopoly of your market.
They can fix prices at any figure they
choose within that tariff limit, and the
masses of the American people are com
PEELED by law to pay these prices, while
in foreign countries where the American
mOnopolist must compete in free mar
ket the same goods are sold often at
half the price charged at the
factory door in the United
States. Your great tariff that
shuts out all the remainder of the
world simply drains the pockets of the
people of the United States into the
pockets OF your protected class, which
are very few and live in ease. Do you"
continued Mr.. HoPLEY, sin view of
this, blame us EngliShmen, who have
some spare capital, for investing it in
your protected American induStries?"
When asked if the foreigner did not
pay the tariff tax, Mr.. HoPLEY replied
Il am an English manufacturer of tiles
and ship great many to this country,
yet | could not at present tell you
the amount of the duty on them. Your
American importers buy them of me at
my list prices and what tariff charges
there are on them are paid by these i'm
porters, not by me. And this amount
surely does not come out of those i'm
porters' pockets, but is tackled onto the
price they charge their customers in
this country. So you see that the tariff
is not paid by the foreigner, but by
yourselves.
you are great nation" added the
old gentleman, "but you are very fool
ish in some ways"
THE sermon of Archbishop CoRRIGAN
on the Pope'S encyclical letter, which
will no fouDd in another cOlumn .