The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-08

OF the tariff. 10 OneIIleiu tueIe are, rough
ly speaking, between 5000 and 1000 men
engaged in supplying the American market.
For the first few months after the tariff
came into operation these found great
difficulty in obtaining employment, but
recently there has been perceptible i'm
provement in their condition so far as the
more valuable goods are concerned. The
lower priced articles are affected, however,
very greatly.
SHEFFIELD CUTLERY.
The head of the well-known firm of
Joseph Rodgers &C. Son claim that they have
not been damaged as much by the opera
tions of the new tariff directly as by the
uncertainty which exists with regard TO
future legislation. People will not buy
when high duties are in operation, which
stand q chance Of being lowered
he remarked that when the Mckinley
tariff first came into operation the
trade was pulled down great deal, as the
firm expected would be the case Instead
of trade becoming worse, however, 1t had
gradually improved of late. and he was of
the opinion that they would be ebe TO see the
tariff safely through. Sheffield manufact-
urers claim that the best cutlery hitherto
manufactured in the Emitted States is not
equal to that imported from Sheffield
and made by better known firms Il is
supposed that the excellence Of the Shelf
Aeld cutlery is due to some peculiar prop
erty in the water, but there is no doubt
that the real cause Of the superiority of the
steel goods made in the town is the supe-
riority Of the handicraf ftsmeD. Mr.. Rodgers
states that high class goods always find q
ready market in the United States or else
where, and he believes that the American
tariff has had more disastrous effect upon
German wares than upon the cutlery which
Sheffield is exporting to America. Upon
lower-priced goods the Sheffield, as well as
the German, tariff has operated prejudi-
cially.
LANCASHIRE IN LUCK.
While some parts of the neighboring
country have suffered severely from the
effects of the new tariff, this cannot be said
of Lancashire. Inquiry among the princi-
pal firms in Manchester, who directly or in-
directly may be said to represent Llnca-
shire in this matter, reveals that the
Mckinley tariff has produced no alarming
results in the Manchester district. The Urin-
cipal reason is that a very small part of the
exports of Lancashire cotton goods went 10
the United States before the new tariff
came into operation. the exact proportion
being only per cent. Tho trade in the
coarser cotton fabrics had been lost before
the Mckinley tariff was. made. The United
States had proved before that that they
could produce the coarser qualities of goods
in any quantity and on paying conditions.
CONSUL GENERAL NEWS VIEWS.
Most interesting and important state
ments TO America in connection with this
investigation were obtained from John G.
New. consul general of the United States at
London, who was asked by the Associated
Press correspondent Whist were the
effects OF the tariU act on
the export trade in London and Great
Britain. Gen. New said 81 can only give
you the facts that have come under my OBJ
servation in my own Office Aud those that
have been reported to me by the cohsuls
under my jurisdiction. For the six months
ending June 80 Of this year there was
falling or of about 10 per
my consulate genR9A and a decrease of
from 10 to Is per cd & in the value Of the
exports, as compared with the correspond
ing months of 1890. During the same period
reports from all the consulates in Great
Britain show marked decrease
in the exports of such articles
as silks. fine worsted dress goods,
fine unions, which are cotton and linen
mixed goods, wool, camel and goat hair
goods, and manufactures of iron and STEEL
! amounting approximately to 30 per cent.
while the decrease in the value Of cutlery
exported amounts to about GO per cent"
INCREASED IMPORTATION.
Have there been any articles the inpor-
tatton Of which has increasedP
YES; tin plate, for instance, has doubled,
| and unmanufaotured woods, with an in
creased duty, have largely iEoreased. Hemp
and fax, with decreased duty, have
doubled, and drugs, also with decreased
duty, have nearly doubled. These articles
reduce the average Of decresse in the whole
volume of exports from Great Britain very
materially, and, taken in connection with
articles which have been added to the free
lsst under the tariff act, the expectation of
which has largely increased, it would ap-
pear that there is no great paralysis of trade
between our country and this"
"Do you think the trade will continue to
decreaseP'
81 take it that the trade Of this country
with the United States will increase in
proportion as our population increases, and
that Great Britain need have no fear Of the
healthy competition of American manufac-
turers, who are protected BY tariff only
against the lower wages on this side of the
water"