Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-03-19
THE MCKINLEY TARIFF.
A MEASURE YET TO BE APPRECIATE
New York Tribune

4 MEASURE fET 10 BE APPRECIATED
New York Tribune.
One face of the Mckinley Tariff wa!
the removal of duties from many i'm
ported materials of manufacture, anG
that face the people have seen. These
articles are cheaper, and have gone more
largely into consumption. To some ex
tent this change has helped industries
and lessened the burdens of consumers
A second face was the addition of du-
ties for the protection of agriculture,
and this also the country has seem
Prices of some farm products at Eastern
seaports and along the Canadian bor-
der have been strengthened, though it
has been difficult even there to distin-
guish during the last year in many cas-
es the influence of the tariff from the
effects of partial failure of crops last
fall A third face was the addition of
more protective duties for the encour-
agement of some branches of manufac-
ture, and this was by millions of the
people at first misunderstood, because it
was Systematically misrepresented. But
they now begin to see that retail prices
of the manufactured products have not
been to any appreciable extent advanced,
while the prospect of having control of
the American market has already caus-
ed the starting of great many new
establishments, which afford increased
employment for American labor.
The fourth face of this tariff is the re-
moval Of duties, which amounted last
year to s55,O00,000, which consumers
paid on imported sugars, and this the
people have not seen at all as yet. But
it means to the vast majority of inhabi-
tants more real and a greater change
than has been made by any other altera-
ton of the revenue laws for many years.
1t is not possible to say exactly how
soon the full effect of this change may
be realized because of the complete con-
troll which refiners can at present hold,
when they are united, over the domestic
market. But imported sugars of refined
grades can be brought in so cheaply aft
er the change of duties next month that
a large part of the benefit to consumers
is likely to be realized speedily.
Last year the average price in foreign
ports, of 2,607,000,000 pounds of dutia-
BILE sugar imported was So Is per 100
pounds, and the duties paid averaged
81 OF per 100 pounds. The ordinary
grade known as fair refining sugar now
sells at about 5 cents, as it has done
duringa part of each winter season for
some years. With this duty removed
Cuba producers might try to get high |
er price for raw sugar, but for the al |
most unlimited supply of beet sugar now
offered and the sharp competition by |
which cane sugar has been driven out of |
many markets. There is small chance |
of foreign combination sufficiently |
complete or strong to advance the price |
and when the raw sugar |
costs 50 OF per 100 pounds less than it
does now the refners will soon be COM
PEELED to. make large reduction in their
prices. A difference of cents per pound |
means more than 81 each year for every
and more than S5 each year
for the average family.
In practical effect, this will be many
times greater than all the possible ad-
vances in price that may at any time
result from duties on farm products, or
from added duties on manufactured
goods. The predicted advance in the
prices to consumers has not come, but if
it had it would be Insignificant in COM
parison with the reduction in cost of su
gar. After April repeal of the Nc
Kinley bill will mean higher cost for
all sugar consumed, and those who think
hey can carry such repeal next year
have not calculated closely. There are
many millions of Americans who have
never yet purchased yard of imported
cloth, or a pound of imported iron or
steel, and who would never have bought
4 pound of imported vegetables or eggs
lad the duties remained unchanged,
and who have in fact never felt the
slightest burden from the Protective
system, but they will feel the benefit
conferred by the new tariff before an
lther year arrives.