New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-28
THE TARJFF md THE COST or LYING.

THE TARIFF and THE COST or nv INh.
Senator Aldrich's speech on the tariff will
be used and well deserves to be used, as an
arsenal of facts by the defenders OF Protection.
The array of proofs drives opponents OF Pro-
lection to small but snappish carping about
details. as Senator Vest expressed his JOY at
the admission that pearl buttons had increased
in cost. Men who are not large enough to sur
render a point when they are beaten have to
keep I'D a ptifu show of resistance. though
they know it is of no use, just as some Con
federatos threatened that after the great armies
of rebellion were destroyed, guerilla warfare
would last for years in the woods and sWamps
of the South. But the people of that section
had too much sense to waste their lives IN a
pontless and aimeSs struggle. supporters OF
Free-Trade theories may proftably abandon the
pretence that the Mckinley bill has raised prices
or increased the cost of living.
Senator Aldrich reasons that the decline or
"a per cent in prices. and the rise OF 10 per
cent in wages. make change OF 4.15 per cent
in the purchasing power OF wages which, at
5000 n family, would mean about $50 for each
of 1900. 600 families, or 1925. 200, 900 year
". II is fair to say that the 13 100000 fam
and mechanical labor which is reported to have
advanced only three-quarters of per cent.
Nearly half the population is supported by agri-
culture The wages Of farm labor. according
to the elaborate report issued in April by The
Department Of Agriculture. has advanced -
per cent during the last two years and per
cent during the last four years. The average
advance in wages would therefore seem to be
greater than the committee estimates. Tn the
other hand the wages of nearly half the labor
of the country, being employed in agriculture
do not average $500 year but even II cOlored
labor at the south be excluded the average
would he less than $500 year. The farmers
who own their own farms. work land on
shares. doubtless average more. but even they
do not have an average Of 5000 a family Ia
expend in the purchase of things not raised on
the farm. The estimate of the Senator can
ONLY be regarded as an illustration Of the gen
eral result of the great changes ascetaned.
Senator Aldrich's speech does not appear TO
have brought out fully one important fact, that
the prices of other than farm products Scpa-
,atclv considered have declined greatly dur
ing the last three years, though this may be
clearly inferred from the statements gwen.
Thus it is shown that the advance IN wholesale
prces Of farm products from June. 1889, 10
September, 1891, was more than IS per cent,
and vet the retail cost Of all articles actually
declined. Necessarily the decline in all other
than farm products must have been large. When
the detailed report of the committee has been
published it may be possible to separate the
items. and thus to determine mcasurably how
great the decline has been in the cost OF things
which the farmer has to purchase.
Meanwhile it is obvious that the advance in
farm products, while it has brought great
gain 10 the farmer, has not involved a CORE
spondng loss to the consumers Of articles man
ufactured from those products. Thus the farm
cr received for wheat at New York so TO so "a
cents in June. 1889, and patent -four was sell
ing here at 50 - per barrel Last September
the price of wheat had risen to 81 o. IL, but
the same -four sold at sc a barrel, rise Of
ONLY % cents a barrel against 27ccntS bushel
for wheat Now the wheat sells AT 80 IS
cents. or cents higher than in 1889, while
the same -four sells at - -, dollar lower than
in June, 1889. The prices OF manufactured
products generally are about the lowest ever
known. and these measure the expenditures OF
the farmers as well as n great part OF the ex-
penditures of other producers The retail
prices OF articles made from farm products have
not advanced at any time in proportion to the
advance of prices of such products, and mean
while the cost of other manufactured articles
has been materially diminished to consumers