The Forrest City times., 1891-05-22
A SOAP BUBBLE BURST.
TRICK OF A PROTECTlONIST
 PAPER EXPOSED.

Editor in . Hole.
 The protectionist organs are hard pressed to prove that the tariff is not a tax. One would suppose that the fall of two cents pound on sugar the very day when the duty was removed would silence them forever. But the old song still goes on, "The tariff is not tax"
 These organs even try to get what they call proofs that the consumer does not pay the tariff tax. The proofs they print are extremely ridiculous, and they are often tripped up on the spot The Chicago Inter Ocean has recently suffered this fate.
 Everybody knows that large retail dry goods stores often sell some article far below cost in order to advertise their business and attract custom. The tariff editor of the Inter Ocean not long ago found some merchant doing this with Pears soap, and instantly he uucorked his ink-bottle and wrote paragraph | to show how the foreigner pays the tax, | This paragraph made a choice pin hook | bait with which to delude the ignorant, and it was extensively copied into the protection organs of the country In the meantime this morsel came to the notice of Messrs. Gaunt X Jan vier, of New York, who handle every pound of Pears soap imported into the United States. At once they sent the following letter to the Inter Ocean: | Chicago Inter Ocean, Chicago. Ill.,: DEAR SIRs-Our attention has been called to cutting from your editorial of March 31. In which you say that "Pears' soap, English made. and sold in England at F cents per cake, pays 20 per cent duty for admission to the American market, and Is sold there regularly at 10 cents aud occa- sionally at cents. Hence, the tariff duty has not added to the price.'g
 So intelligent paper as yours will surely want to be put right on several misstatc- ments made in the above. The soap is not sold in England at 12 cents a cake, but generally from to cents The soap does not pay 20 per cent. duty for admission, but Is cents per pound specific, It is not sold regularly in the American market at 10 cents.
 You evidently have assumed that the marked retail price, Cd, is the price at which the unscented soap is sold in London. It Is cut there as well as here to near cost price We sell to iobbers here at precisely the English price plus duty and shipping charges See price list inclosed. We have yet to find importers who do not
 
 which they pay the United States govern ment, and which, of course, the people have to pay back to the importer
 The net price of the unscented soap in London is about 7s cents United States money; one dozen soap weighs 2l. pounds. and upon this the United States government assesses 15 cents per pound, or 335. cents. This is added to the cost of the soap, and in addition there Is also added the cost of the United States consul fees in London, and the cost of clearance from the custom house in landing here. These. together with the freight, make Sl16, at which price we sell to jobbers.
 We have known Pears soap to be sold In Chicago at 2 cents ger cake, or 4S cents per dozen, for which the purchaser paid us in New York Si.l per dozen, he himself pay ing the freight to Chicago; he therefore sold the goods at much less than half the cost to htm and he seemed to think this was good advertising.
 It seems to us that you have taken an unfortunate example to illustrate your argument, The tariff is unquestionaby tax. and Is Just as surely added to the cost of the goods as the freight is added to the beef in New York when brought from Chi cago, or grain from Chicago, or oranges which are brought from California.
 You must know that the selling price of an article at a certain point Is based. first upon the selling price at the place of pro-
 
 tion and other charges
 People, of course, may sell a certain article for less than cost, but that the great bulk of business is not done in this way goes without saying. We are, gentlemen, respectfully yours GAUNr X LAWYER
 The Inter Oceans tariff man replied to this letter as follows:
 Messrs. Gaunt & Janvier. 365-367 Canal
 street, New York;
 GENrIEMEN-Your favor of date 9th of April has been referred to me, The frm mentioned by the Inter Ocean selling Pears soap at cents a cake assures me that it did not sell at loss; that 1t does not buy from Pears New York agency; that 1t purchases surplus lots of all sorts of goods. Pears soap included, Ut nominal rates. TariH re,y seldom, very seldom, in- deed is added to cost The Welsh tn plate makers. who have given assurance of their willingness to supply American deal- CTS with Hates at old rates under an in- creased duty. will cnlighten you on this point. Respectfully, JOHN ". TiSDALL,
 Tariff Editor.
 Mr. Gaunt replied to the above in the following put up-o or shut-up" style: Mr John W. Tindall. Tarin Editor Chicago
 Inter Ocean, Chicago, IL:
 DEAR SRI am in receipt of your letter addressed to Gaunt Jauvier In our pri- vate letter 1 called your attention to the fact that the three statements which you made in regard to Pears soap were not true, and that the inferences you drew are false, In your letter of April 10 you evade the issue. but l assume that you have been imposed upon.
 You say that the firm sells Pears soap at s cents per cake, and that it did not sell at a loss.
 Now. l will buy twenty-five thousand dollars 1925. .000l worth at cents per cake; this will then afford the firm s5, 900 profit.
 Further, when this purchase is made l will give such an order for advertising to the Inter Ocean as shall make 1t worth while to have started the discussion
 If the source of information upon which you make your assertion that the @Tarin very seldom, very seldom, indeed. Is added to the cost, be as inaccurate as the source of information about Pears soap, 1t Is with out the pale of discussion, and 1t Is hardly worth while to go to Wales until we haye settled the present Respectfully, JAMES GAUNr. Of the firm of Gaunt X Janiver. No answer has been made to Mir. Gaunt's liberal offer; and it can safely be assumed that the Inter 0ceah man "fees press of the protectionist persuasion go on repeating his fb as part of protec- tion's gospel. A lie travels with seven. league boots"
 "serves Mexico's Interests" | Is not this too bad? dispatch from | the City of Mexico announces that since we have abolished the duty on sugar l Mexico has begun to export suyar to | this country. "During the present year. |"