The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-09-21
DUTY ON WOODEN GOODS.

Absurdity OF Congressman Springer's
Claim That They Are n Tax by Their
Amount-if This Were True. Manufac-
turers Would Have Sold Their Goods mt
Loss Had 1t Not Been For the Tariff
Free Trade Means Lower Wages.
Said Congr essman Springer in his re-
port advocating the passage of the free
wool bill: The consumers are com
PEELED TO pay whatever taxes are i'm
posed upon wooden goods when i'm
ported, as we'll as whatever increased
cost may be added to domestic goods by
reason of the tariff. As all persons are
compelled to use wooden goods, all are
compelled to pay the increased cost by
reason of the tariff, whatever it may be.
This eXaction is taken from the many
for the benefit of the few In other
words, it is Mr.. Springer's opinion de-
libcrately expressed in "A committee re-
port, that the effect of the tariff has
been to substantially increase the price
of wooden goods 5000 per cent
1.-THE average ad valorem duty: that the
men, women and children of the United
States have paid 5000 per cent. more
for their clothing and other articles
made of wool than they would have
paid had those articles been admitted
free of duty Since this bill is still
pending in the senate, where, although
there is every chance of its being
pigeon-holed by the finance committee,
it may yet be discussed. it may be of in
terest to throw on these conclusions
drawn by Mr. Springer some light fur
nished by figures given in recent CEN
sus bulletin on the wool industry AS
shown by this bulletin, which was pre-
pared by recognized authority, Mr.. S.
n. d. North, secretary of the national
association of wool manufacturers, the
wages paid, cost of materials used and
value of goods manufactured in all
branches of the wooden industry in 1890
were as follows:
Wages paid Observation-Disclosures. S76,76S 81
Cost OF material used .............. 2J3,O956i9
Value at factory of goods manufac-
- lufeu OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 1S,-jl lOS
If the tariff was tax, then it is evil
dent that the third item-the value at
the factory of goods manufactured, or,
| in other words, the manufacturers sell
| ing price-was 5000 per cent. too great.
Instead of being 1888, 23l, 100, it would,
minus this duty, only have amounted to
| S1S7 ,26l, 161. Estimating that the duty
on the materials used in the industry
| according to the statistician of the
treasury department, 3S per cent? was
added on to the price of these materials,
| their cost, on account of the duty, was
also SO per cent. too great. Then, wages
remaining the same, the result under
the Springer free-wool regime would
have been something like this:
Wages paid ......................... 70, 768 81,
Cost of materials, minus S8 per cent
DUTY. Observation-Disclosures. li1,l1OIo
Total cost materials and wages S223, 800 62
Selling price, less tariff ........... lS7, 26l 10
Loss. ..,............... u 36,oIS, AZ
Mr.. Springer, therefore, claims thai
but for the Mckinley tariff wooden
manufacturers would have sold theil
goods for $50 CTS, 465 less than labor ant
materials cost them, or at Il loss of al
most s37 100000. When we see that thi
is the logical conclusion to be drawn
from the free trade assumption that tn,
tariff is tax, the absurdity of that con
tention becomes evident. The fact still
remains that the price of wooden good
was not raised by the Mckinley law
and that the American people can buy
their clothing as cheaply as at any pc
Rod in our history. There is, however
another aspect to this question. Let u
suppose that manufacturers would hav,
been forced to sell their goods for 1856,
G7S. i65 less had the duty been abolished
MS Mr. Springer claims. How would the,
have done it? Their materials woul'
not have cost them less, for we have al
ready allowed for the repeal of tn
duties. In what other way, then? Onl,
by reducing wages by the amount 0
1913, 465. Now, in 1890 there wer
employed in all branches Of the woolel
industry 22l, OS7 hands; total wages pal
We're $40, 76S, sol, so that the averag
, yearly wages paid to each hand wer
about sS47 If wages were reduced b
the amount mentioned, there woul
only be $40, 900, 4O6 to divide anon
/, these 221, 0S7 hands, and average yearl
wages would then amount to 1881. UI
, der his free trade system, Mr.. Syringe
!. would ton the average) reduce tn
wages of every man, woman and chill
, in the wool industry sl66 year. Wher
ever the position of these so-called tart
/ ''reformers" is analysed to the las
stage, the same result always appears
, free trade means lower wages.
CTrom the American Economist)
! THE TARIFF NOT 4 TAX