Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-07-08
Foreigners Exempted.


One effect of the Mckinley tax
on tinplate is to give London cheaper
prices for American canned goods
than can be offered in the United
States. The tax or tariff cost in a
dozen three.pound cans is l0a cents,
or II cents dozen on gallon cans.
The average increase at retail, forced
by the tin tax, will be a cent can.
This, however, is to American con.
sumers only. The Republican party
does not wish that foreigners should
pay our tariff taxes, and to relieve
them it has provided that where
goods put up in cans of taxed tin are
sold for foreign use only, the tax on
the tin shall be refunded to the ex-
porter, who is thus enabled to sell to
foreigners cheaper than the same
goods can be sold in the United
States. Our exports of canned goods
last year amounted to $4,000, 900,
mostly mineral oils, canned meats
and canned salmon, the largest ex-
porters being the Standard Oil
Company, the Armours, the Cudahys,
Hammonds, Fairbanks, etc. The
Standard Oil Company and other ex.
porters of mineral oils, will receive re.
bates from the Treasury of the tax on
tins used in handling an annual ex-
port business of over SAC, 900, 900, and
there will be like rebate on the tins
in $6,600,00O export trade in can
ned meats.
These great exporters are not re-
quired to pay the tax, from which
they are exempted on the very correct
theory that they will thus be enabled
to sell cheaper to foreign consumers.
The burden of the tax falls first on
those who manufacture imported tin
plate into cans for use in this market,
and, among these. very heavily on
the Gamers of fruit and vegetables,
who will pay for their single industry
a tariff tax of $5,000,00O year to
"foster" an infant industry of tin
plate making not yet begotten and
certain to die stillborn. This money
is taken directly from the Gamers,
who must recoup themselves from the
public as best they can. The Treas
ury will not refund cent of the tax
they pay on cans, unless they export
their goods for use by foreigners only,
and as they sell mostly to Americans.
they cannot reimburse themselves ex =
cept by deducting it from what they
pay the farmer for vegetables and
fruit and by adding it to the price
the consumer must pay. AS business
men they will do one or the other, or
both. But no matter what they do
the tax is discrimination of SIS, 900, :
900 year against their industry.
The rebate in connection with tin
plate is a striking illustration Of the
ludicrous inconsistencies of the Re-
publican high-tax system The tax
is levied against foreign tin, and those
who buy foreign tin for use in this
market must pay and charge it to the
American consumer. But, provided
the tin is used here in preparing goods
for foreign consumption, the tax is
returned from the Treasury. The
Gamers of farm produce in the west
and south and the residents of Ameri.
can towns who consume what is thus
canned must shoulder this tax be.
tween them but the Standard Oil
Company and the Chicago Big -Four
are exempted from it for the benefit
of their London customers.
The same care is shown throughout
the Mckinley bill to prevent the
possibility of foreigners being charged
with our tariff taxes. If a manu-.
facturer imports anything to use in
articles for Americans, he must pay
the tax and reimburse himself by
adding it to the price charged Ameri.
cans. But he can import anything
he pleases for the use Of foreigners
and as soon as he ships to foreigner.
the articles made from it the tax is
refunded, so that he need not add il
to the prices charged foreigners.
Section rs of the Mckinley provides
that "where imported materials, or
which duties have been paid, moi
used in the manufacture of articles
manufactured or produced in the
United States, there shall be allowed
on the expectation of such articles 9
drawback equal in amount to the
duties paid on the materials used lesl
per cent"
II is entirely true that under M
circumstances will foreigners pay oul