New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-18
FREE RAW MATERIALS.
WILL THEY STIMULATE EXPORT TRADEs
SOME PERTINENT RIsONs-CLEVELAND'S
ASSERTIONS AGAINST OFFICIAL F1GUREs-
EXPORTS OF MANUFACTURES OF IRON.
STEEL. COTTON. LEATHER AND
WOOD FROM 1885 TO 1889

STEEL. COTION, lEAiHE" NM
WOOD FROM 1885 TO 1889.
iBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIByNEl
Washington Dec. H.--"It is the science OF as
sumptons" said the venerable William ID. Kelley
speakirg OF the theory of Free Trade one day five
years ago.
..With free raw materials manufacturers
will be able to compete with England in every
foreign market and build up an export Tade 'ha'
will eventually rival her own, said Democfauc
member OF the Ways and Means committee YES
terday; and that is what all of them say whenever
certain features of the Wilson bill are criticised.
They take their cue from the recent message OF
President Cleveland In which he SAID:
.Not less closely related to peoples prosperity
and wel-belng is the removal OF the reS''io''oNS
upon the importation of the raw materials heces-
sary to our manufacturers. The world shouid Dc
open to our National ingenuity and enterprise
This cannot be while Federal legislation through
the inonoslton of high tariff. forblds TO American
manufacturers as cheap materials as those usea
by their competitors. 1t is quite obvious 'ha' u'e
enhancement OF the price OF our manufactured
nroducts resulting from this policy not only con-
1ncs the market for these products within our Dor
ders TO the direct disadvantage OF our manufactur-
ers but also increases their cost To our citizens
The President then goes TO speak OF the
"sharp competition and active struggle among our
manufacturers to supply the limited demand lot
their goods which soon Ill the narrow market
10 which they confined and TO argue tha'
seven II the often d.sproved assertion could be
made good that lower rate Of wages would re-
suit from free raw materials and low tariff du-
ties the intelligence of workingmen leads them
quickly to discover that their steady employment
permitted by free materials is the most I'M
portant factor in their relation TO tarlh ieeisa-
ton 49,,
The American manufacturer does not agree win
Mr.. Cleveland about the comparative value OF the
70 ,rhi he
the American workrgrnan, however intelligent ne
may be- yearn for "a lower rate OF wages ana
probaby both Of them know quite as much ABOUT
their own affairs Mr.. Cleveland does. But ne
assumes as do the members OF the majority vi
The WAYS and Means Committee. that free raw
materials alone needed to give American manu-
facturers big export trade. 1t would be interest,"
ing to know what basis Of fact, II any. there Is
for this bold assumption. 1t certainly cahno' Nv
found in official reports of the custom houses vi
the United States, where one would natura'y anu
nationally expect to find 1t If 1t existed at ALL lot
n must be remembered that these reports zeal
with the exports of goods manufactured from ma
terals that are admitted free Of duty as Wen as
with articles manufactured from materials '"a'
now are and long have been subject 10 duty
Here are some interesting facts collated from
the official returns Of imports ana e'.ports i'oi''
1885 to 1858, both years inclusive ihey ieia'e ~
four kinds of manufactured goods. the materials
Gov two Of which have been admitted free OF duty
for more than twenty years, while the so-cae"
"rsw materials" of the other two have been ou-
t,abIe when imported. for fifty years or more
Iror ore which is the raw material Of iron and
steel manufactures. has been dutiape since 1879 at
Y cents q ton and prior to that time 1t was
dutiable ut 20 per cent ad vaorem Inc 'otai mn
,or.s Of manufactures of iron and steel during the
period of nine years amounted to S6s1oc ana '''e
exports amounted to s2O0572Coo making an aeere-
gate of $50 1S2 Co., of which the exports const'u'eu
IS per cent In the year 1885 the total OF imports
and exports amounted TO s5Ols2,Ooo, of which the
exports constituted 80 per cent; In 1882 the year De-
fore the enactment of the present law the otai o.
imnorts and exports amounted 10 $S3.o53VN' OF
which exports 80 per cent. ana III 1885 ,he
total Of imports and exports amounted 10 s4'o'-
Co., Of which the exports constituted ~ rs per cent
In 1885 the total exports of manufactures OF iron
and steel amounted to N6592,0oO in 1883 10 VI
15S 900 and in 1893 $3Ol07O0O The gain from lsso
TO 1889 was s5e4COO the gain from 1889 TO 1888 was
$S,9n,00o or almost twice as great. and the actual
exports Of 1888 were s more than sr those oil
Cotton. which is the raw material Of the cotton
% nSs sa mas sor 9een Of on as t5ee of
during the nine years from 1883 TO lss2 amoun,ed
so ssssseee a Of 81 sspSE's Of to
CONSTITUTED 80 cent In the year l ss o s 5o' az
which the exports constituted 30 per cent; in 1889
the total of imports and exports amounted TO TO
per cent. and IN 1888 the total Of imports and ex
ports amounted to sD,369.0N, Of which the exports
81 cotton goods amounted te 81, $500 IN 1859 to
as ;es and in s g 70 SOS The 9so 1os1 s r0m o
1898 was s.5s7co, and the actual exports Of 1888
were $4,000 less than those Of 1885. There was
decrease IN exports both relative and actual during
f.ades. which are the raw material" Of leather
and leather manufactures, have been on the free
@ l The Of nhs
already mentioned amounted to Sii 40 ooc and the
exports amounted to se, eo7 600; making an aggre-
ss Of psT In Of s ysar @ e1 hs Of
ports and exports amounted to $50 los 9co Of which
Of Imports and exports IS amounted to so
Of which the exports were is.I per cent, and In
sooceo Of which the total exports constituted NJ
ssS in II ISL to So s snR0h n 1888 to-
DO The gain from 1885 to. 1889 vas s,o5s.oOo the
o n 1852 Sens ' srsse and ha the ia $751;
being an increase Of little less than % per cent
as defined by the Democratic majority Of the ways
and Means Committee. consists Of all logs, timber
with the exception of sawlogs and certain round
timber in the rough Al these so-caed raw ma. ma,
ffty years; sawlogs have been on the free list
since ls72 but the imPGrations have been exceed
wood during the nine years amounted to sc ;Ss 0Oo
the Ss of TO Which he
ports constituted g. per cent In the year 1883 the
Of b nd % per %
It amounted TO $3S1H.@O OF which the exports
were U1z per cent ana IN 1888 IL amounted 10 No.
49, 00o. OF which the exports 60 per cent. In
1855 the total exports amounted to s2 $1,000; in 1889
TO $26 CO., 1892 s26 G6G The gain from
1885 1859 amounted to s. $4,000; the loss from 1889
to 1893 was $4,000 and the actual exports Of 1888
exceeded those Of 1885 by the sum Of 100000 or
nearly % per cent.
1t may be asserted that the foregoing figures
are not conclusive. but every far-minded man Will |
admit that the evidence they give Is entitled q
great deal more weight and respect than |
the mere unsupported assumption OF even 80
eminent Free Trade theorist President |
Cleveland, who offers not a single fact or
figure to support his assertion that the duties |
Imposed on so-called raw materials are ali that |
prevent American manufacturers from speedily |
gaining strong foothod In ''the markets OF the |
world" II not indeed wrestling then, from the
Of foreign manufacturers. whose supremacy has
been purchased az the cost Of years OF effort and
hundreds OF millions OF dollars taken from the |
pockets OF taxpayers to pay enormous and long
continued bountes and subsidies to steamship lines
SILVER MEN STILL FIGHTING.