The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1892-05-21
A SAMPLE CASE.
agent.

How the Tarifr Increases the Cost Of
Carriages and Wagons.
The carriage and wagon industry OF
the United States may be considered to
be fairly well established. We not only
make our own, but furnish carriages to
every civilized nation of the earth.
England herself buys annually Of us moro
than a quarter Of a million dollars,
worth of wagons, while her possessions
In Australia invest $40o, 900 more with
us on this account. But our export
trade is but a 1.-THE Of what it would be
with free raw materials, and with better
facilities for shipping, such as we might
have II there were no restrictions upon
shipping or commerce. The carriage
and wagon manufacturers begin to
realize this themselves, all but one of
them Republicans and Democrats alike),
in Cortland. N. Y, the carriage center
of eastern United States, signed a petit
ton protesting against the duties on
material proposed by KcKinley. But
the major was deaf to their appeals, and
increased the duties on many materials
for carriages.
The duties on materials for carriage
trimmings-English broadcloth, plush
corduroy, etc.-increases the cost of a
$75 carriage about 50. Not a yard Of
corduroy is made in this country, and
the greater part of the broadcloth used
has been imported at about 100 per cent.
duty. A leading manufacturer of Cort-
land says: "Over $3.50, 00O worth of
cloths are used in this place, seven
eighths Of which until recently has been
imported. Not a thing that goes into a
carriage is untaxed by the tariff except
lumber, which is also probably higher
because of the tariff"
The duty on carriage hardware is 45
per cent. 1t serves no purpose except to
enable the National Association of Car
riage Hardware Manufacturers to keep
up prices, which it raised materially
when it was organized a few years ago.
Nearly all wheels are purchased of the
Wheel trust. The duty on iron and steel
adds something to the cost Of these and
also,to the cost Of axles, many of which
are made of imported steel. 1t is safe to
say that the cost of carriages is increased
10 per cent. by tariff taxes. What an
impetus would be given to both our
home and foreign trade if prices could
be reduced 10 per cent.
There is no doubt that our heavy
duties on Canadian imports causes re-
taliatory Canadian duties on imports
from the United States. These duties
are so heavy on carriages and wagons
that some manufacturers have branch
factories in Canada and others contem-
plate building there. They will, how
ever, do this under protest, for with bet
ter facilities and more efficient labor
they can manufacture about 10 per cent.
cheaper in the United States than in
Canada.
The Canadian tariff is about $50 on a
500 carriage and $40 on a $40 cart. OF
course u manufacturers pay these tar
if taxes anil sell to Canadians at our
own home prices. This would leave
them small profits Oil $40 carts, but if
the tax does not come III Of the man
ufacturer's pockets why should he go
to the trouble of manufacturing in Cam
ada? The New York Association of Car
riage and Wagon Manufacturers fixes
prices at which certain vehicles must
be sold. These prices are strictly ad-
hered to Ey most firms. Profits are big
in some Of the largest firms with i'm
proved machinery and we'll established
regulations. One company declared a
dividend of 100 per cent. last year. In
spite Of these profits vehicles are sold
cheaper than they can be made by hand
in small blacksmith and carpenter shops,
and factory made wagons are rapidly
supplanting hand made ones.