Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-06-30
COMMUNICATIONS.
The Registers's Composition Leaf
Fiction.

The Regfsters's Composition Leaf
Fiction.
To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
The Register said ON the 18th and also
on the Goth inst. that composition leaf was
not made in this country and therefore the
tariff put upon the same in the Mckinley
bill was not protective one. I replied in
your columns saying it had been made
since but not before the Mckinley bill;
that my firm had bought and used it at 30
cents per pack less than the Register
claimed the present increased price of the
imported article to be. Now, the Register
in Saturdays issue confesses, after making
these positive statements and while wait
ing to hear more from me, that 1--WE have
further Investigated the matter" and fur
ther on says: zone dealer writes us to say
that he has seen some American leaf, the
makers of which told him he could not buy
it for so cents per pack Now, then, if
the Register had made its investigation
first and witten its editorials afterwards,
instead of reversing the proper order Of
things it would not mislead quite so many
people. 1t seems, by its own showing,
that the leaf is made in this country. As
to the price, my firm has purchased it for
so cents and has used it. That is all
I claimed, and l can substantiate that.
What another manufacturer, or even the
same one, may ask some other person to
pay does not affect my statement. In the
endeavor to extricate itself it also quotes a
dealer whose name it does not give as say
ing: 81 have very grave doubts If Mr.
Gay ever used package of domestic leaf.
Some dealer who had an ove1-
stock came to him shortly after the Nc
Kinley bill went into effect and sold him
big lot at the rate of so cents per pack to
get cost, stating that it was do
mestic leaf, and our patriotic friend
bought it" Well, that sounds rich.
A man selling at so cents an imported
article that we now pay 81 for and which
the Register claims cannot be bought for
less than S1.15. According to that the
way the tariff works is not to advance the
price, the amount of the tariff, and profit
added for the money invested in the same,
but to reduce the selling price by causing
such a Generalization of prices that the
importer is glad to sell at cost l have
heard of some protectionists who claimed
that after some years the tariff stimulates
home production and facilities to such
an extent as to cause a reduction
to price less than that paid formerly un-
der low tariff or no tariff, but this is the
first time have seen a free trade editor
trying to straddle two opposite positions
at one and the same time-that of finding
fault with the tariff for increasing the price
and then explaining that the market under
this high tariff operates to make the i'm
porter sell at cost. The importers are in
business for money and not for fun.
If the Register wants to know where I
bought domestic leaf for so cents it can
learn by complying with the request con-
tanned in my letter published in your col
umns Monday, June 30. And 1 am still
prepared to sell the imported leaf at 81.
per pack, making 10 per cent. for myself
and saving cents for the manufacturing
concern located in this State" whose name
and address the Register keeps to itself.
CHARLES GAY, JR.,
ToDfina Hotel