Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1892-10-28
A COMPARISON.
CONDITIONS IN GREAT BRITAIN WITH
THESE OF THE UNITED STATES.

higher Taxes, Lower Wages, More Pau
pe,s, Smaller Savings Deposits and
Greater National Debts in England
Than In the United States.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Oct. lido the people
who are clamoring for free trade ever
compare the conditions of the, past and
present of this country with the one es-
sential free trade country of the world
England? II not, it might be a good
thing for them to do so. I have been
looking into the question a little of late
and comparing the conditions in this
country and in free trade Great Britain.
Here are some of the things which I find:
The annual tax collected from the peo-
pie by the government of free trade
Great Britain is $12.6O per capita, while
that Of the United States is less than Sc
per capita.
The deposits in savings banks in Great
Britain amount to $3.50, OOO, 900, or five
dollars per capita, while those in the
savings banks of tile United States
amount to $!.623, 079, 794, or twenty-five
dollars per'capita.
The amount of money in circulation
in Great Britain is $3.50 per capita
while the amount in circulation in thu
United States is $500 per capita. In
deed there is scarcely u country of n
Importance IN the map of the world
which has as large an amount of money
per capita as has the United States.
Tho national debt of Great Britain
amounts to 800 for each individual in
her population, while that of the United
States amounts to $13 for each individual.
The annual interest charge upon the
public debt in Great Britain is So. rs per
capita; the annual interest charge upon
the public debt in the United States is
35 cents per capita.
Great Britain, under her free trade
system, has decreased her public debt in
tho last thirty-five years $500, 600, 900;
the United States, under protection, has
decreased her public debt in twenty-five
years 81 ,551 900, 900.
In free trade Great Britain there is
l pauper for every 80 individuals, and
l person in every 10 receives more or
loss parish support; in protective United
States there is l pauper for every CAB in
habitants.
The "balance of trade" is hundreds of
millions of dollars against Great Britain
every year. Under her Wanted free
trade she imports vastly more than she
sells. Her exports last year amounted
to 81 300, 600, 900 in round numbers, and
her imports amounted to So, 1OO, OOO, 900,
making a balance on the "wrong side Of
the ledger" Of $500, 000, 900. Our exports
last year were S 1893, 1886, 62G, and our
imports were 1897, 391 1884, thus giving
us IL balance of $500, 944, 342 on the "right
side Of the ledger"
The balance Of trade was $500, OOO, 600
against free trade Great Britain last
year, while it was $500, 00O, 900 in favor
Of protected United States.
In the last ten years our exports have
exceeded our imports by $7OG, $3.50, 314.
IL that time the exports of Great Britain
have fallen S S,515, OO0, 900 below her i'm
ports. In other words, in the decade
just ended protective United States has
a balance of over $500, 600, 900 on the
right side of the ledger, while free trade
Great Britain, whose commerce rules
the world" shows $S,515, 200, 600 on the
wrong side of the ledger.
In free trade Great Britain bricklayers
get SLIT per day; in protected United
States, So per day; carpenters in Great
Britain get $1.2S per day; in the United
States, 1886 per day; in free trade Great
Britain engineers get $1.46 per day; in
the United States, 1922 per day: in
Great Britain machinists get $1.20 per
day; in the United States, So. so per day;
in Great Britain compositors get is cents
per thousand ems; in the United States,
90 cents per thousand; in Great Britain
shlpbuilders get s. per week; in the
United States, SIG.
Thus it will be seen that in every par
ticular our condition is better than that
of our free trade neighbor. Our COM
MERGE is in infinitely better condition
because we receive hundreds of millions
Of dollars more for our products than
We pay out for the things we buy, while
the reverse is true with Great Britain.
Our public debt is less than one-sixth
per capita that of Great Britain, while
u annual interest charge is only about
one-tenth per capita that in Great Brit
DIN. We have decreased our debt in
rs years 2119 times az much as Great
Britain has been able to decrease her
debt in IS years. Great Britain has /
pauper for every 80 persons. while we
have l for every e43.
Our government collects from her
people less than $6 per capita of taxes;
that of Great Britain collects from her
people over $12 per capita of taxes. The
deposits in savings banks in Great
Britain average IS per capita of the
population; those in the United States
average $25 per capita Of population.
The money in circulation in Great Brit
ain is ST. 80 per capita, while that Of the
United States is $685. SO per capita. Wages
in the United States are from rs to 100
per cent. higher than those paid in Great
Britain.
What good reason is there for desiring
to exchange English free trade for the
protection which gives us these condi-
-. -k;ckr in avarv case arc On .mr1ch