The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-26
THAT sWINDLE A

As would naturally be expected the
Journal rushes in where the Herale
feared to tread. In attempting to ans
wer THE INDEPENDENTS statement
fortified by irrefutable statistics, that
American manufacturers charge Ameri-
can more for the same article
than they charge foreign buyers, the
Journal says:
The esteemed Independent worries
through = column of figures to show that
American manufacturers sell their wares
cheaper in foreign countries than at home.
Its figures are compiled from tho dishonest
and unreliable free trade bulletins, which
have drawn comparisons from the schedules
to foreign agents and the retail prices in
this country. To take the prices to agents
in Europe and compare them with the re-
tail prices hore is as manifestly unfair as to
take the prices to agents here and compare
them with the retail prices across the sea.
There ia necessarily a difference between
the rates to agents and tho retail selling
price of any article, otherwise there would
be no middlemen to retail the manufactured
product This is q condition of business.
Now mark how plain a tale shall you
put down. Instead of taking our figures
ssfrom the dishonest and unreliable free
trade bulletins. which have drawn COM
parsons from the schedules to foreign
agents and the retail prices in this
country" The INDEPENDENT made its
quotations from the figures furnished
by the manufacturers themselves and
we challenge the Journal to show that a
single misstatement was made by The
INDEPENDENT. AS to the Journals
charge that the schedules to foreign
agents and retail prices in this country
are brought. together in comparison we
beg to say that just the reverse is true.
In every case where we quoted the price
Of an American article to foreigners the
retail price for a single article was given,
while the comparison was made with
the lowest domestic price for large
wholesale lots at the factories. In Civ
ing the price for plows. for example, we
had to pay for one pillow and compared
it with the price the American dealer
in plows had to pay in large lots at the
factory. 1t is folly for the Journal to
attempt to meet these facts by bare
denial or impudent falsehood. The price
lists from which we quoted, are on file,
accessible to the Journal or to anyone
else who doubts the truth. The prices
quoted to American and foreign con-
sumers are certified as correct over the
signatures of the protected firms charg-
ing them. There is no escape from
these facts or the deductions that must
be made from them. Americas manu-
facturers are monthly sending millions
of dollars worth of their wares into un-
protected foreign markets and selling
them in competition with the products
Of European factories. At the same
time they are selling the same articles to
American consumers at prices from 10
to 40 per cent higher, simply because
the American purchaser, under our rob-
bing tariff system, is at their mercy and
cannot escape their exactions.
Again we challenge the Helena Jour
nal to controvert a single statement
made by The INDEPENDENT in regard
to this business. And it is not q single
manufacturer here and there who ia
doing this. There are over $4,000 such
establishments protected by duties
ranging from 40 to 200 per cent, that
are selling their goods in the oman
markets of the world in competition
with foreign manufacturers. The Am
erican people are robbed of exactly the
difference between the price the for
eigner pays and tho price they them
selves pay TO the American manufac-
turer for the same article.