Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-09-17
TARIFF AND LABOR.
Great Industrial Revolution Du @
to the Operation of the So
called leyism.
Thirt Seven Million Dollars Add
ed in Nine Months to the De-
mand for American Labor.
Detailed Statement of the I'm
ports During that
Period.

In nine months, under the new tariff.
the value of duties and OF free imports
compares as follows With the returns for
the same months of the previous fiscal
year under former duties:
Total value dutiabe 1884, 2t4, COS $3.50 $50 I82
Total value free 295, 962, S62 POS, 1887, S72
Now that the detailed reports for nine
months have been published, it is possible
to determine much more closely than be-
fore the character of the decrease in dutia-
BILE imports and of the increase in free i'm
ports, and the result place in strong light
the usefulness of the new tariff. There
must first be deducted from free imports
the last year S45, 507, 724 for sugar in
April, May, and June which was formerly
dutiable, and there then remains $685.
457, 7S9 Ct free goods, against sos, 49,, S79
for the same months Of the previous year,
an increase of S44, 473, BIT, or about % per
cent, in imports of other free goods. On
the other hand, in comparing imports of
duitable goods, there must be deducted
from the statement for last year S2S, 1856, :
1852, the value of sugar imported in April
May, and June, then duitable but now
free, and there remains $500, 949, go as
the value of all other dutiable goods,
dSdluSb CCct.Ztt sOC 1Ol IuS utiC IlOnbflS
under the new tariff, showing decrease
of about per cent.
A large part of the decrease in dutiable
goods appears in the manufacturers of
| wool, which were smaller in value by S14,-
Gil ,951, or SO per cent, than in the same
months of the previous year. notwithstand-
ing an increase in carpets and
IN WOOL READY-MADE CLOTHING,
In cloths the decrease was from II ,679, 275
yards to z, 114,761; in dress goods from
80, 514, 821 to 81, 724.057; in rags, shoddy
and waste from 3, 554, SOB pounds to 572,-
712; in yarns from 2,601 ,1l2 pounds to
767 800, and in knit fabrics from 81 &c.,
500 to 1914, 402. In miscellaneous woolens
not specified the decrease is from S4,697,-
879 to S2,144,27. These changes mean
simply an addition of about SIS 100000 to
the demand for American labor in one
branch of manufacture for nine months, Or
at the rate of 500, 900, 900 year.
In the iron and steel manu- facture i'm
portant gains for American industry are
cen There must first be deducted the
imports of tin plates, which have increased
from 500, 100000 to $4,000, 600 pounds, as
the new duty went into effect at the end of
the nine months, and the remaining de-
crease in value of iron ard steel products
imported is 1888, 518, or more than %
par cent. In cutlery alone the decrease
is 81 ,266, 1876, or more than wo-thirds; in
hoop and band iron, including cotton ties,
the decrease is S564, $50. or nearly 80 per
cent. and in wine rods about 25 per cent
! he changes in this branch have added
nearly 81 10000 to the demand for Amer
lean labor in nine months. The imports
of manufactures of fax, hemp, and heir
substitutes also decreased in value So, 795,
615, or about l9 per cent.
Among the agricultural products the
most conspicuous changes are in barley,
imports Of which decreased from II 0l3,-
402 bushels to 1902, 858, or nearly 70 per
cent; IN egg, Of which
THE IMPoRTs DECREASED
from about 10 ,4O4, PIG dozen to ,225 22O
dozen since October 5, or more than seven
elghths; in tiaxseed, of which the imports
dropped from 1897 ,037 bushels to SCI 1876,
or more than two-thirds; and in tobacco
for wrappers, in which the decrease had
been over 5000, coo pounds, and In value
So, 23S, ITO. In these four items alone the
decrease in value of imports Is about S14,
$1,000.
w uen LneSe lew GLASSES are ueuuCleu,
with their aggregate decrease of over
S37, 900, 900 in imports, it appears that in
the remaining imports there has been an
increase of over $10,000,O00. Ii is the fact
that most of the other dutiable imports
were either reduced Or not changed in
duty, or not so changed that any important
decrease has resulted. The great indus
trial revolution which is in progress is
L. I,,u 10 ba ahouo
toned, and these have plainly added at
least s37 ZOO, 900 in nine months, or at the
rate of more than 95O.0OO,O0O a year, to
the demand for American labor. And
there is yet to come the great change re-
sulting from duty on tin plates, which may
by itself prove to affect the demand for
labor TO the extent of many millions
New York Tribune.