The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-02-20
FUN FOR FREE TRADERS.

We had occasion to remark the other day
that the price of pig iron abroad is about
Sl3; in this country about $50. The tariff
tax of 1912 on each ton is thus added to the
price of every ton of domestic pig iron sold
here.
The wages paid in the production of a
ton Of pig iron is IS. 35 That is, the tariff
tax, which enables each manufacturer of
pig iron to get Sc. ~ more for each ton than
the foreign iron sells for, pays the wages
of all employees and also bonus of S3.3
over and above every cent Of wages paid
IN the production of the iron,
Here is the Trtbune's latest attempt at
answering this fact:
Now, if a ton of iron can be produced in
England at 1886, what THE HERALD says it is
produced for in this country, is il not clear &C
cording to THE HERALD's figures that for every
ton Of iron they make they clear the outrageous
sum of So So?
No, it is not clear; to produce a ton of
iron costs from $40 to sl3 either here or in
England; of this amount 1896 is paid for
wages IN this country, and more than that
amount in England. But to equalize the
difference in labor cost, in wages paid, In
the respective amounts paid to the work
men in each country 1--WE wish we could
make this clear to our dull neighbor). a
tariff of 1872 is levied by the government
and charged by the home producer on each
ton he sells, thus paying the wages of all
his men and leaving him as much more in
his pocket.
Notice that the tariff is not levied, nor
has the hrazor dofa -
dared to say it was levied, to enable the
home producer to buy his land, machinery,
mills, raw materials, etc.; but only to make
up the difference between the wages paid
In production here and abroad: and as the
total wages paid here on a ton of pig iron
(not the difference, mark is only 1885,
while the tariff taxed and charged is So. -,
1t will be seen what the latest subterfuge
OF the protection organ amounts to.
The Tribune weakly attempts to belittle
the prosperity of the low-tariff decade from
1850 to 1860, in which the wealth of the
whole country increased twice faster than
in any succeeding protective decade. 1t
says:
Before that decade was over, the gold had all
been sent to England to pay for manufactured
goods, and the warehouses OF this country were
choked with English goods. There was no
money in circulation.
Il brief ak months ago the same paper
that now says "there was no money in
circulation" at the close of the low-tariff
decade, declared that the money IN the
country doubled in amount during that de-
cade, and that this was the reason WHY the
wealth OF the country had apparently
doubled. There being twice as much
money, il said, prices were doubled. and
hence the apparent prosperity as shown by
the census at the close of the decade from
1850 to 1860.
The exact words of the Tribune, just six
months ago, were:
There was an initiation of quite 50 per cent. in
money between 1850 and $780, That is. the Dur
chasing power of gold fell of so per cent
Tribune, September 8, 1890.
To-day it says: 1.-THE gold had all been
sent to England" and there was no
money in the country
Now, does any Tribune reader believe
that the editor forgot how he had tried to
escape from a tight place by saying the
money doubled between 1850 and 1860. or
ohoS hC HlA4iu1lt lies HOW IN lis 1raQtlc
haste to escape from another corner in
which the facts had placed him by alleging
that by 1860 there was no money in the
country"
We care not which horn of this dilemma
either his forbearing readers or the editor
himself may take; for we know and here
state the fact, that he lied, willfully, we
believe, in both instances Neither asser
ton, though contradictory of The other, is
correct
Upon the question Of whether the ware
houses OF this country were stocked with
foreign or nome manufactures, we shall
simply use few more census figures.
During the census year 1850, there were
employed in manufactures in this country.
l,3ll, 246 hands; the capital engaged was
Sl,009, $50, us; and the value of the product
was S, SS5, SCI $40.
During the census year 1880, after twenty
years of Wanted protection to infant in
dustries, there were 2,732, 595 hands.
g, 79o, 272, 606 capital invested and the pro,
duct was $500, 579, 191.
The wages paid in the first wear were
1918. SIS, 1865; and in the second, s947 953. us.
to s, 03l COS, 092; and in 1880 the materials
consumed amounted to s., 1876, S23, $40.
Now, comparing the number of hands
and the amount of capital used in 1860 with
the same items for 1880, and we observe
that for the number of hands and the can
ital invested, the manufactures of 1880
consumed rs per cent. less materials than
those of 1860; paid 100 per cent less in
wages; paid 167 Fer cent. less to capital:
and produced 102 per cent less in product
We mean, of course, that by a school
problem in proportion, the hands, capital.
materials and time for 1860 are to the pro-
duct of 1860, as the hands, capital, materi-
ais and time of 1880 are to the products of
that year increased by the percentages
given above, which mark the loss of 1880
as compared with the productiveness of
hands, capital and materials in 1860.
Or if we take totals merely, we find that
manufacturing has increased a little faster
than the population under protection, while
it did more than that during the years of
tariff for revenue.
CENSUS BULLETIN No. 30 shows the ponu.
t6finn of Alaaka IN ho o. 600 3;u;doa -. q,