Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-05-19

from the inhabslAnts Of that Island.
lou will observe THAI the producers Of
Bermuda believe they pay tbs in
creased tariff undsr the new lay, not
the tAriH rsformsr's
claim 10 otherwise. And they have APP
pointed . commission 10 come 20 the
United states 70 secure . reduction OF
the tarin upon their products. Thls 10
the language Of the message 70 the
governor:
Figures - ossas Bssss.
"swe are directed By the houss OF
assembly 70 bring ~ the notice OF your
excelIency the serious loos that the
people VI Bermuda have suffered, aud
which they are likely in the future to
sustain, by the high rate OF tariff that.
by the present lave Of the United states.
Ia charged on Bermuda psoducts
shipped 70 that country, and 10 espe-
elaily request that your excslleucy will
Be pleased TO take into consideration
the following statsment which 70 sub
misted with view OF endesvoIlng 70
obtAln-with the sanction Of the imper-
ial government and the government At
Washiugton--a reduction In the tAStn
above referred 70: The amount OF
bermuda products shipped 70 the
United States from January TO June in
ciusive. in 1890. amounted in value TO
$569, 1872. On this amount. under
the old tariff ratea the duties
amounted 70 not lea than SIS, 234.os.
La 1891 the quantity Of produce
shipped to the United StAtes from JAN
uAry To June amounted TO 1851, llS.l2.
On this amount. under the new or Nc
Kinley tariff. duties were paid amount
ing to not less than $l34, S76.2s. Thus
while the value of products shipped to
the United States IN the year 1891 was
SIS, 400 less than in 1880. the, amount
paid a. duties was t79,742.20 10 excess
Of duties paid in the former year,
making . direct loss to the growers
in each case Of . large percentage OF
the amount, ~ the market value OF
our products in the United States will
not allow of any advance in price conn
mensurste with % heavy . tariff
That being 20, who pays the tax?
They assert they cannot add the tarih
to the price, TO the American con.
sumner. so he gets il ct the old price.
Notwithstanding the increased tariff;
that 10, the consumer pays no more
for Bermuda products than he did pre-
vlous 70 the new law; the Bermuda
producer gets less and the American
treasury more money. Who con-
tributes that revenue to the treasury,
the foreign producer or the American
consumer?
This will indicate to you how the
foreign countries regard this tariff.
They hold it to be burdensome upon
them--a tax upon them which they
must yield up to our treasury if they
want to enter this market. Similar
discussions are going on in Canada, IN
France, in England. and in other
countries.
Mr.. Cisveiand's Untruth.
eve increased the tariff in the new
law upon . number Of foreign products
which compete with home products;
bat in no single instance, except posi-
bly, IN the case Of pearl buttons, has
there been any advance in prices to the
actual consumer. Yet Mr.. Cleveland
in his latest speech in Rhode Island
said: The consumer has found life
harder since the passage OF the new tar.
i'll law than before That is not true.
The consumer has not found life
harder, for the commodities which en-.
ter into his daily life are, in great ma
iority OF cases, lower than they were
before the new tariff law went into Of
feet. He has had cheaper sugar,
cheaper clothing, cheaper bvots and
shoes and cheaper nalls than before.
A careful investigation Of prices of
WOODEN and cotton goods made In the
city of New York. and embracing over
1000 quotations Of articles for com.
parative period under the new and old
tariffs, and this made by an expert who
has reported prices for forty years,
shows that in about 50 per cent of all
these ouotatlous and articles theirs has
been an actual decrease in price since
the new tariff law went into effect a.
compared with the same prices Of
goods under the old tariff. Further.
more, old industries have been stlmu.
lated and very many industries started
which are now estimated TO have given
employment to from zoe, 900 TO 250, 200
employees, and 1t ID . fact well estab-
lished by reports from eli countries thai
1T this time. while depresslons and anx-
iety exist in the industries of other
countries, there 10 prosperity IN the
United States alone.
Tariff On Carpets.
"When the tariff has been increased
upon . foreign article, and it does not
increase the price TO tho American con.
sumner, how does the. American con.
sumner suffer- He gets the commodity
At a. low . price ~ he got il under the
old tariff, notwithstanding the increase,
20 he loses nothing; but labor in Amer.
lea gains everything. Take the case OF
creascs under the new law. We ad.
vanced the tariff on wool, which lies ri
the foundation Of the carpet industry,
to protect the wool growers OF the
country. We advanced the tariff on
carpets, the finished product, to com
pensate the manufacturer for the in.
creased duty on wool, and yet today
the prices are no higher than they were
before the enactment Of the new law.
Il 10 true prices went up on carpets I'M
mediately after the passage of the law
but these prices are speculative rather
than real. But today there is no line
OF carpets that you cannot buy "a
cheaply as you could prior to October 8,
1890. and IS to ingram and other lower
grades Of carpets, they are even
cheaper now than then. So that the
increased protection that we give to the
wool grower. and which he required q
. defense against the ruinous competi.
ton from abroad, has cost the AMER.
can consumer nothing. and to the wool
grower and farmer has been . positive
benefit.
who Pays sAs Tariff Tax3
"They say the tariff 10 tax That
10 captivating cry. So u 10 tag: bu,