Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-12
BRITISH FEARS.
Graf Curtailment of Profit to Foreigners by
Our Tariff.

Our IarlH.
The following are the conclusions of a
memorandum to the London board of trade
on the probable effects of the Mckinley
tariff on English interests. This tariff
subjects an import trade into the United
States of nearly ESQ, 10000 now being
a burden of e32. 900, 900 or Al per cent,
to burden of 941 900, 900 or SO per cent
But according to the memorandum, 1.-The
alarm. with which the Mckinley tariff, as
regards its effect on the general trade OF
the world, and the trade between England
and the United States in particular, has
been viewed, cannot but be considered as
exaggerated. 1t will divert and disturb
trade pro anto, but it affects only a part
of the United States forei On trade: and g
still smaller part of the foreign trade Of
England after all; in both cases a very
small part indeed of their total trade
many Of the increased duties for various
reasons are either not protective In effect
or cannot effect the protection aimed
at"
That is to say that, though the Mckinley
bill will, by so much as it increases duties
divert the sales of English manufactured
products from this country by supplying
American made products in their place
as many of the increased duties are no
protective in effect the alarm with which
our tariff legislation has been viewed il
exaggerated.
The diversion is, however, by implica
tion, said to be alarming to that depart
ment of the British government which
has the trade of the empire in charge, anc
undoubtedly because the profits on theil
Il - 1oI Id NJ
board of trade evidently do not expec
British manufacturers to keep on trading
to this country, cha1 ging the II per cent
additional duty to the American consumer
or it would not entertain its present unex
aggerated alarm.
The last clause of the memorandum re
ceives an additional light in the following
editorial Of the Colliery Guardian, Lon
don:
THE increase, indeed, as we have il
previous issues pointed out, affects chiefly
| tin plates, and these take effect after July
next year. OF tin-plates we exported las
year to the United States somewhat over
"a, 500, 900 in value. Revertine
again to the question Of tin plates anC
sheets it may be pointed out that the
United States takes about four-ffths Of
the total annual make of the united king
dom, and it cannot be considered as other
than a serious matter that the duty should
be increased from 1c. to 1-5c. per pound
Tue existing duty is equal to 34112 pei
cent. ad valorem, but the enforcement Of
| the Mckinley tariff would raise it to 76L
per cent. ad valorem.
While the duty on tia plates was eoua
to 24115 per cent. on their cost at the
Welsh mills, as it was not protective il
excited no alarm, exaggerated or other
wise, and any or all free-trade orators OF
newspapers are chal nged to cite any pro
test against it in English papers after il
was demonstrated that it would not prove
protective until j. was found that free tir
plates would injure our sheet iron trade
But it is feared that the present duty O
76I per cent. will prove protective, anC
| this is cor sidered a serious matter. ,
In the merntime we read in the Iror
Trade Circular tRyland's) that at meet
ting of the tin-plate manufacturers a
| Penclawdd.
"A resolution was unanimously passec
to the effect THAT all the work in tn,
district should be closed at 10 O'Clock OF
the Wednesday morning precedin!
Christmas day, and remain closed unit
the subsequent Monday morning, and urg
ing upon the trade generally to follow th'
same course This idea is not so mucl
to provide holiday during Christina
week to the men, but with view OF
reducing the output of plates before tn
lst of next July, when it is probable that tt
American tariff bill will come into opera
| ton
And there are people in this countr
who, denouncing all American manufact
urers as robbers, urge the continuance Q
the tributes to these Welsh restricters o
production.