Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1892-09-15
A SAD TARIFF LESSON.
Tariff for Revenue Only Slapped Nor.
ways Strength and Ruined
Her Industries.
The Heavy Burdens Of Taxation Fell
Upon Her Common People and
Crushed Them.
Tariff for Revenue Only Will Bring
the Same Calamity Upon
American People.
Especial and Copyrighted.)


The last session Of the Norwegian
parliament, recently proroguea, wit
messed new departure in fiscal legisla-
ton. which briefly may be characterized
as determined effort to relieve the
common people AMI the industries of the
country of some of the burdens imposed
by ruinous tariff policy. Although
Norway is u country with limited re-
sources, her experience III tariff legisla-
ton is instructive AMI valuable. It IL
Illustrates with unnistakable .plainness
that the inevitable effects of tariff for
revenue only is to i,npoverish the COM
mon people.
Norway was one of the first coun-
tries in Europe to embrace the
economic gospel of Richard Golden.
Towards the close OF the corn law
camp ign ia England, a Young man of
eminent ability was appointed to teach
poi .ical economy in the university Of
Christi 4nia, AMI with him free trade
made its entrance into Norway. His
work soon bore fruit. Tae univer-
sity began to grind ont free traders at a
Ia, i'll rate, and gradually the press
dliSted into the hands OF these Young
and aggressive followers of the great
prophet OF England. The Norwe. ,ian
p op'a. generally so slow and deliberate
Ia | / lnupanl ats, We're co ,yertea to
he Il w gosf.el In IN incre'i oly short
,ae. Q. p j N WIS i enrul. AMI The
soc riae OF piotpcsion W is commonly re-
NJ li,i Ian,
ha no sooner scored his first triumph
OH foreign stil by tbs c,ncsrsi N OF
the CONNER, il treaty between E lgta,M
and the emf ire of Napoleon III, than
Norway followed in the footsteps OF
France, adjusted her import duties on
Il tariff for revenue only basis and CON
clnsiei Il series of commercial ire ii; S by
Which she honn1 herself to adhere to the
new policy for number of years, Thus
free trade was firmly established in
Norway.
Various reasons of fiscal and indrs-
trial nature account for Norway's easy
conversion to the new policy. II the
III S. place, the expenses OF the govern
ment made it necessary to levy duties
on all Or nearly all articles of imnort as
well as a few articles of export. The rails
ing of revenue consequently must be one
of the main objet is Of any tariff which
might have been adopted. Moreover,
from a fiscal point of view, the lower
ing Of duties on man lfacturel articles
looked like u very slight sacrifice com
pared with the concessions made by
fprti sn countries for thu benefit of Nor
wegian ship ing aud Norway's staples
of export-lumbar and fish products.
IN exchange for these concessions Nor
way exposed her tiny in lnst,ial plants
TO practically unrestricted foreign
competition, and placed the main bur-
den of taxation upo,, the shoulders of
the common people by raising about
two-thirds of her total revenue by heavy
i:np' = duties on a few articles Of COM
mon consumption, especially coffee,
sugar, tea. illuminating oils and tobacco.
In other words, she adopted the very
20 icy which the Democratic party en-
deavors to establish III this country.
The new policy was inaugurated under
favorable auspices, and for time all
went we'll. There was steady and
increasing foreign demand forilumber
and fish products; imports increased
Enormously, and business hourished.
The source of all this apparent pros
peiity was the phenomenal growth Of
Norwegian shipping. Containing a
population of less than 1900, 900 people,
Norway in a few years attained the rank
of the third maritime power in the
world. Her flag foated over all the
seas, and the net income Of her ocean
carrying trade, some $25 10000 annu-
ally, was sufficient to cover the large
difference Of value between imports and
exports and thus keep the balance Of
trade even. Free trade was worshipped
as the mother Of the new activity and
what appeared to bea rapid accumula-
ton Of wealth.
This spell Of an illusory prosperity did
not last long, only some fifteen years.
By that time iron and steam had largely
displaced the old wooden vessels. and in