Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-09-16
Review of the Mckinley Bill.

III ehC hictoi cChCuuiCo piotSCtioh
has run riot. A few duties, super
fluously high, are reduced, but still
left at prohibitive rates-such as those
on steel rails and steel beams, left at
6-10 AND 90 of cent per pound
respectively. Plate, sheet and hoop
iron rates have been raised to those of
steel. Cotton ties, used mainly by
southern farmers and in cooperage,
formerly dutiable at 35 per cent, are
now taxed 104 per cent. On tin-plate
the present rate of | per cent. per
pound has been raised to 22-10 cents,
this for the benefit of the sheet steel
combine, while in wire a seeming re-
duction of rate is turned into an in
crease-in many cases of 100 per cent.
on the classes most imported-by a
proviso that no wire valued at 4 cents
per pound shall pay less than As per
cent ad valorem.
Anvils, which their makers extern
sively advertise for export to sell in
unprotected markets, have been furth-
err protected by raising the duty from
2 cents per pound to % cents. On
pocket cutlery there has been added
to the former rate specific rate of II
cents to 50 per dozen, raising the total
duty from so per cent. to rs per cent.
to upward of 100 per cent. Razors
have been similarly treated, and the
duty raised from so per cent. to an
average of about rs per cent, rising
to ITO per cent. on the cheaper grades.
Table cutlery, lately paying 30 per
cent, has had duties similarly increas-
ed by compromising duties to rates
nearly double in the former ones. On
shot-guns, though the barrels in rough
are now allowed to come in free, rates
have been increased from an average
of 30 per cent. to one of "a per cent.
American capital has been driven in
to Mexico and American labor thrown
out of employment by the Mckinley
provision including under duty of
II cents a pound the silver-lead ores
which heretofore have been admitted
free and refined in this country, while
a prospective duty has been put on
block tin to take effect in 1898, by
which time the foreign owners of the
Dakota mines will be in position to
pocket the tax thus imposed on
American industries.
On leaf tobacco, stemmed, suitable
for wrappers, now paying 81 per
pound Cor 175 per cent?, the duty is
raised to 1915 per pound Cor 4S1 per
cent?, while the duty on unstemmed
is correspondingly increased. On
cigars, cigarettes, ETC., now paying
$3.50 per pound and 25 per cent. Cor
100 per cent. in allD, the duties are
raised to $3.50 per pound and % per
cent. Cor 1T per cent. in alp, the re-
suit being not merely that imported
cigars are increased above 2 cents
each in price, but that by the extent
to which it increases rates on raw
materials above those on the manu-
featured product the Mckinley bill
LAS compared with the former tariff
imposes an extra penalty on cigars
manufactured here of about So per
thousand, and thus protects foreign
labor against American competition.
It is only since Sumatra wrappers
have been largely imported that
tobacco has steadily risen in price as
compared with other farm products.
Shutting them out will stop the growth
of cigar manufacturing, on which de-
ponds the prosperity Of our growers.
In its increase all around of the
duty on breadstuffs, dairy products
and meats the Republican party has
at last enacted series of corn laws,
which, if effectual, are more infamous
than eyer were those which once cursed
Great Britain. Their only redeeming
point is that they are shams, through
which the farmers, whom they were
calculated to deceive, are beginning
to see.
The duties have also been increased