The Press., 1892-04-28
R s. Hinman, in Connecticut Farmer) EFFECT OF PROTECTIVE TAR

EFFEN UT FNO EOAANE AN-
 IFF.
 No class of citizens is more interested in the welfare of our state and nation than those who own and till the soil, and among no other class are there so many men who read and think for themselves.
 The question of ways and means for meeting the expenses of the government is one that directly interests these men. There is quite percentage of those who vote at elections that, having acquired a competence and retired from active busf- ness, are not personally interested in the prosperity of the country, and still larger percentage that cannot be expected to comprehend subject of this nature. For this reason the farmer should, even if it takes little time, inform himself
 We have been living since October 6, 1890, under what is called protective tariff The law that took effect at that time removed almost entirely duties i'm posed upon articles that it was considered we could not grow or make in this coun- try in sufficient quantities to affect the market. Duties levied upon this class of merchandise are known as revenue du- ties, imposed for the purpose of tax that is paid by the consumer. The duty on raw sugar was of this nature. It is a form of laying taxes upon individuals and families instead of upon capital, and ia popular with the governing powers in Great Britain. The receipts from cus- toms in the United Kingdom for1the year ending March 31, 1890, amounted tu about $1O0, ,000, ,000, of which nearly $7e, eco, ,00t was levied on tea, coffee, eurrants {Zante) and tobacco. When we think AaW fond the Englishman whoearns his Avspg Is ot his tea, coffee, currant breed md tobacco we realize that the fords and commons know how to reach him stfor revenue only" S
 The law of 1890 added to the duty on all articles where it was believed 1mpofta- tions hindered the development or pre- vented the successful prosecution of in- dustries that ought otherwise to thrive in this country. and deducted when the form. el duty was greater than seemed neces. sary.
 If the condition of those engaged In production was the same the world over, protective duties might not be necessary, but if the producers of one country are to live on higher plane of civilization than those of another country, they must get more for their labor. The Connecticut farmer does not need telling that he can. not compete in growing tobacco cheaply with the Coolies of Sumatra unless he lives as the Coolies do.
 The new law has been in effect long enoughy for us to study its effect, and see whether as citizens we should urge its re peal, further trial, or its indefinite con. tinuation. -..
 At the start we find that the amount paid the government under the new sched. ule is less than the old partially revenue tariff; the decrease for the year ending September 30, 1891, being $44, ,2s1 1929. 46 This is not because we have been doing less business with foreign nations. The volume of trade with foreign countries has been greater than ever before, and we have sold more of the products of both our farms and factories. The figures are as follows: For the year ending June 30. 1890, imports $7S9, ,310, ,4O9, exports $S45, ,293, 1928; for the year ending June 30, 1891, imports $s44, ,916, 196, exports $S72, 2,27O,2S3. We have, however, bought more of articles that we can not produce and less of what we can. There was i'm ported last year free of. duty goods that under the old law would have paid rev. enue duty of nearly or quite $10O, ,0OO, ,0OO.
 The duties collected were mostly pro- tective, that is, they were levied on arti. cles produced in this country in sufficient quantities to fix price, and upon which the foreign producer must pay the duty in order to reach our market.
 When the cost of productions here ap. proximates the cost of production abroad as it seems to do when an industry is once thoroughly established, the foreign CT sends us less goods. The net reduc tion in the value of such goods imported in the quarter ending Sept. 30, 1891, as compared with the corresponding quarter in 1890, was $51,S12, 800. The following examples show the largest percentage o1 reduction for that quarter: