The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1892-08-13

goods!
A. Yes, they claim this, but the
claim is not good, and the protec-
tionists themselves know it. The
very purpose of imposing high pro
tective duties on goods is to increase
the price and make it very profitable
to manufacture them in this country.
@. Yes that is true, but do not
these high duties encourage the
manufacture of the protected goods
in this country, stimulate competi-
tion among our manufacturers, and
so, in the end, cheaper prices?
A. That is the protectionist theo-
ny, but they do not really believe IN
it themselves New inventions and
improved mechanical and chemical
processes in manufacturing-these
cheaper prices, but high protective
duties do not. The idea is absurd.
If our protected manufacturers are
so anxious to compete with one an
other, and lower the prices of goods,
why should they be SO averse to a
little competition on our own soil,
with foreign manufacturers, three or
four thousand miles distant?
@. What are your reasons for as
sorting that the protectionists them
selves do not believe in the cheaper
ing effect of protective policy?
A. One is that the protected in
terests, after twenty-eight years of
protection, are asking for still high
er protective duties. Another is
that some of them are admitting that
they cannot afford to pay protective
duties on raw materials, and are ask
ing Congress to allow them free
trade in these materials, so as to
enable them to manufacture their
goods cheaper The manufacturers
of iron pipe and other metallic goods
in Massachusetts are complaining
that the duties on coal, ore and pig
iron so increase the cost of making
their goods that they will have to
abandon their business unless these
duties are removed; and when, few
months ago, Western members of
Congress proposed to place protec-
tive duty on foreign hides, which are
now imported free, the leather goods
manufacturers and boot and shoe
makers of Massachusetts protested
that such duty on hides would in
crease the price, and be severe tax
on their business.
The fact that protection does not
cheaper prices, but on the contrary,
makes them higher, is confessed by
Hon. VIM. Mckinley, Jr., of Ohio;
one of the most distinguished pro-
tectionist authorities in the present
Congress. This gentleman, in pre-
senting the new turiff bill in the
House, stated that it increased the
protective duties on woollen goods,
and justified the increase, because
the bill also increased the duties on
wool. The woollen manufacturers
would have to pay higher prices for
their wool, and must therefore, have
higher prices for woollen goods. In
the same speech he stated that the
bill increased the duty on tin plate
and admitted that this would in
crease the price of fruit cans and
other tinware. These admissions
show plainly enough that even, in
the opinion of protectiouists, protec-
ton makes the protected articles
dearer, instead of cheaper. not only
at the beginning but all the time.
@. If it were true that protection
cheapens goods, would not goods be
cheaper here than in countries where
that policy does not prevail?
A. They would, certainly.
@. Well, what is the fact?
A. The fact is just the opposite.
We have been protecting sugar, rice
and salt, three necessaries of life
with very high duties for nearly
thirty years-and vet, sugar, salt
and rice cost twice as much here as
in free trade England-and tools,
cloth, clothing, blankets, glassware
earthenware and, in short, all pro
tected manufactures, are much
dearer here than there.
TAX ON BINDING TWINE.
@. Is ii true that there is Il pro.
tectiye duty on binding Irvine used
| by farmers in binding their sheaves
of wheat and oats.
A. 1t is.
@. But this looks like penalty
on the farmer for raising wheat and
oats.
! A. 1t is penalty on him.
| Q. What is this penalty?
A. Forty per cent. On Irvine and
twenty per cent. on the Manila it is
made of. 1t takes $4,000 tons q
year to bind the crop of the country
which, at manufacturers price, IL
cents a pound, is worth $500 ton
or $13, 100000 for the whole. One
half this is protection. 1t is at least
a half cent per bushel, which, on the
Missouri crop for 1889, 100000
bushels of wheat and 3S,OOO,0O(
bushels of oats, amounts to 100000
i O. Is this in addition to fail
price for the Irvine?
A. Yes. The whole cost Of the
Irvine for the Missouri wheat and
oats crop is 100000 and one-hal
this is for protection.
@. Do you mean to assert thai
the farmers of Missouri have to pay
penalty of 100000 for raising
wheat and oats?
Yes.
THE HOME MARKET.
@. You will certainly admit thai
it is wise and just to keep our home
market for our own people, and mo-
to admit foreign rivals to the benefits
of it without paying for them?
A. What do you mean by our
home market?
@. The markets of our owl
!, country.
A. Would you exclude foreigners
from buying in our markets.
q. No, not that; but exclud,
them from selling in our home mar
ket
I A. If they bring their goods her,
whom do they want to sell to?
q. Our people l suppose.
A. What you really mean, b,
) forbidding foreigners to sell in GU
home markets is forbidding our owl
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