The record-union., 1891-08-19
SAVE US FROM OUR FRIENDS.

SAY Il US FROM OUH FRIENDS.
The Chronicle desires to be super
serviceable to the high protectionists.
Keeping in view the difference between
the national policy of protecting the in
dustries of the country and the robbery
known as high protection, we repeat that
the Chronicle is very solicitOus of being
the tool of the high protectionists. In
this service, it interviews certain mer-
chants in San Francisco.
A leading dry goods house testified as
follows:
LAS rule, everything that formerly
''paid duty of 80 per cent. now pays SO
''per cent, and everything that paid %
'per cent. now pays 80 per cent But this
''does not mean that any kind Of goods is
40 or 10 per cent. higher than it was
''The cost on the other side is the same,
''the freight and insurance are the same.
'It is only the duty that is advanced 10 or
''15 per cent. Now we pay that and feel
''the difference, but the customer
doesn't"
The same firm concludes with the
significant statement:
But it is only in the lower priced
goods that there is any difference; those
''that paid so per cent. dutyIbefore, pay it
"still"
The reader should observe that the
goods that paid so per cent. duty were the
higher priced goods under an old tariff
revision. Thus the Mckinley bill did
not raise the tariff on high priced articles
such as the rich use, but only on the
lower priced goods. This will become
more apparent as the testimony Of other
merchants is taken.
Another house testified as follows: ~ ~
''The only difference is in the lower
''priced goods. The better grades of
dress goods are just the same; but this
will work for the best. Domestic goods
will come to the front, and the poor will
buy them. That is what they ought to
"do."
Continuing, this same firm said:
Now take sealette or sealskin plush.
"This is quite popular article,
particularly among poor women, who
''fancy that it looks like sealslxin. This
''has advanced in price. But so much the
"better; it is only an imitation after all.r
Immediately after this story fur store
is visited and testifies as follows:
J,S1
"The only skins we import are in the raw
''state and there is no duty on these"
The testimony of these two houses
taken together makes a case against the
bin. Sealette or sealslin plush, which
the merchant said was popular article,
particularly among poor women, has ad-
vanced in price, but the fur store in
formed the enterprising journalist that
the bill had made no change in furs.
Thus the article poor women wear has
advanced in price while the costly furs
remain the same. a leading dry-goods
house is placed on the stand and declares
that under the Mckinley bill everything
is little dearer-
'Not much difference in silks. The
greatest advance is on pearl buttons.
"But there isn't much change"
The testimony that everything is a
little dearer, but that silks have been
specially favored by the bill is in line
with all the testimony published in the
Chronicle. One of the noticeable features
ofthe series ofinterviews with merchants
is the conflict of testimony. One of the
merchants interviewed declared:
'The only difference we have noticed
sis in the price of pearl buttons. These
''are considerably dearer."
This was in answer TO the question as
to the effect Of the Mckinley bill on all
classes of goods. y leading dry goods
house confirmed this testimony and said
that the greatest advance is on pearl but
tons. One of the best known houses in
the city testified as follows:
Pearl buttons were raised before the
mckinley bin went into operation, but
''they are coming down to their proper
'level."
Now you see it and now you don't see
it. The Mckinley bill has sent pearl
buttons skywards and left a margin for
the American manufacturer of buttons,
and then again, pearl buttons were raised
before the Mckinley bill went into OPP
Grafton, and that bill has brought them
down to proper level. The testimony
of one house tempts us to quote in full.
The head of the firm said:
81 am in favor of everything that
mckinley does. he is one of the great
lest statesmen that we have. l do not
"see much difference. Goods are q little
''higher French slippers are the same
ssprice as before"