The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-12-05
A TALK ON The TARIFF.
Senator AIdrich's Address at the
State Normal School.
WHAT THE ENGLISH TARIFF IS,
The Walker Tariff Was the First In This
Country and Subsequent Acts Have
Been Notifications OF It-Prof. John
Fiske to Speak Next Saturday.

The audience room of the Normal school
was filled this morning with pupils and
their friends, to listen To Senator Nelson
w. Aldrich as he explained the principles
of the tariff.
The principal Of the school, Mr.. Little
field, introduced Mr.. Aldrich, saying that
arithmetic was common branch at
school, but this morning, the listeners
would hear something about Custom
House Arithmetic.
Senator Aldrich said he had no time for
preparation, but he would endeavor TO
give his hearers an idea of the difference
between the English tariff, the protective
and free trade The English tariff is not
exactly free trade, for a large revenue is
derived from levying heavy duties on arti-
cles which are not manufactured or pro
duced in the British Isles. For in
stance, the tax on raw tobacco is about
80 cents per pound, and on manufactured
tobacco about 81 pound which is greatly
in excess OF the value OF the article itself.
Liquors and beer that are not produced
there are taxed in the same proportion
and other articles such as tea, coffee and
chicory help to swell the revenues. There
have been vast number of tariff acts
passed in Parliament but the great
change was b,ou yht about when j. ID.
Hume reduced the number of
acts to eleven and the work has
been carried on by Huskinson, Peel
and Gladstone. The repeal of the Corn
Laws was the great reform movement,
but only one step in the direction where
the English tariff is tending.
The English tariff system, which is COM
monty called free trade, levies larger per
capita tax than the American protective
tariff. Every nation derives a large por-
ton Of its revenues from duties levied on
importations, but no nation has
ever adopted the English system entire
AT many times in the history of the tariff
acts OF our country attempts have been
made to approach it. The first complete
tariff act ever prepared in our country
was that OF Robert j. Walker, Secretary
of the Treasury under President Polk
and was based on the fundamental theory
of tariff for revenue only, and Which pro.
vided for an average duty of 20 per cent.
ad valorem. IL Is very easy to prepare tar
iff act of this kind. No tariff bill of recent
years which was for revenue only, has
been prepared, which was not a modifica-
ton of Mr.. Walkers bill. The protection
tariff differs from this in that il aims TO
first secure home industries from compe-
tition abroad and then il provides revenue
also, but sometimes it Is necessary to
place very high duties on certain articles
which are not produced here, in
order to secure sufficient reye-
nue. lOT tHt Dttus OF government
Senator Aldrich mentioned the different
features of the tariff bill of 1916, 1899,
1928, 1882, 1888, 1912, 1s46, 1861 and 1890,
aud the statesmen who were identified
with each of them, prominent among
whom We're Clay and Calhoun. AT
ths ths request request O,,s Of Mr. Littlefield,
words the meaning of protective tariff,
tariff LEVIED principally on articles
produced or manufactured in this country,
so as to protect home products, and free
market for such articles as are indispen-
sable and not produced in this country at
all or in very limited quantities.
The production of iron and the manu-.
facture of iron and steel products was in
stanced and short description of the
different processes through which iron
passes in manufacture was given which
was listened TO with special attention. AL
chol was also mentioned because it is used
in so many different articles of common
Use the number of which would be sur
prise TO the public, the speaker said that
IL IL was generally known. Senator Aid
rich spoke of the great amount of work
in the tariff bill of 1889 and the vast num-
bers of amendments-about 50O-whlch is
received before it got through the Senate
He closen by thanking his audience for
their close attention.
a vote of thanks was Immediately given
the Senator, and the audience was given
chance to shake hands with him, and
to- to examine ,or;T copy Sio Of the Mckin;
on the desk. Trustees Kendrick and
Percy Smith were on the platform to it,
troduce persons wishing to meet the dis
tinguished senator.
at the same hour Prof.
John Fiske, the historian of Cambridge,
will lecture before the school
allies Gold Watches.