New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-15
PRINCIPAL IMPORTS OF THE LEEwARD ISLANDS
DURING THE YEAR 1890
Articles imported Amt Rato
- - In OF

Nothing can be clearer than the story con-
yeyed in these figures. 1t may he properly sup
plemented, however, by an examination oi 'no
totals of imports and exports. The exports OF
this colony consist wholly of sugar, molasscs.
rum and fruits. They amounted in 1890 to t4e9''
Os7. and of that total the United States received
e3s6 s42. or 70 per cent and England received
ALB, or 0 per cent. The imports amounted
TO f437.s95, and of these the United States were
permitted to supply G147,212, or 80 per cent?
while England took to herself by her free llsc
and her per cent tariff no less than f27O,493j
or 60 per cent The schedules of articles imported
are not detailed with sufficient exactness to
enable me TO figure out the precise amount OF
revenue derived from each of these sums total
Of import trade, but taking those articles Of which
at least 90 per cent in amount are derived from
one country or the other, find that f27,s53 OF
duty was paid by flls,Sj5 Of American imports.
while only G2l, ,l7s was paid on G2l5,S69 OF Eng
lish imports. And yet Mr. Neville Lubbock has
the hardihOod to claim that these tariffs are not
differential In the restricted sense he Intends
Of course his claim is true, but far as it is trues
is not to the point
1t must be understood that England is respon-
sbe for these tariffs. They are made by the
Colonial Councils but, as l have shown, these
councils are the merest creatures of the
BTltlSh government, WIN no power WndtcNef
TO enforce will contrary 10 that Of the British
Premier His agents in the islands, the Cow
ernors are Governors in fact, and the tariffs are
their work. To every one who has had dinged
into his ears the alleged fact that Engand's
revenue system is founded on the principle Of
securing cheap food for the people the rehcc-
ton will naturally occur that she must mean
cheap food for the residents of the United King.
DOM but not for her poor negro colonists in
these islands, They live in climate where
clothes are a nuisance, but American -four a daily
necessity, and yet the cheap food doctrnaires
force them to pay tax OF % per cent flour
and per cent on cottOns. This is protection in
its meanest form, for il protects, not English
industry against foreigners, but the rich manu-
facturer at home against poor wretch Of fcl-
low-subiect whose daily wages are only shillingt
Ii draws from him cent pound more for the
bread that he must have than Is necessary, and
thrusts freely at him the clothes that he doesn't
want at all. The provision taxing Canadian fish
at per cent and American pork at Is and salt
beef at 20 throws into even stronger glare the
protective purpose of all these tariffs. Giving
heed to the generous conduct which has supplied
the islanders with free market in the United
States for substantially all they produce Eng
lands constant effort is TO compel their trade
with America TO sustain the whole burden Of tho
support of her large and expensive Governmental
machinery here while their trade with England
goes free. II that isn't protection, what Is its
LE.Q