The Coconino weekly sun., 1893-12-21
; A QUESTION or REVENUE.
How the Wilson Tarin VIII Affect Ameri- "a, can Industry. -'l.r

Chairman Wilson proposes. to, save the people several millions every year in the cost of various products It is a beautiful idea, and at first blush it seems strange that the people do not appreciate his kindness But they must have earnings before they can buy. It occurs to them that this scheme cuts off their earnings, and then tantalizes them with cheap goods which. they no longer are able to get at any price. He doos not think so, and has some theor- ies in hisshead which came to him from ME Walker, fifty years ago, and if they, are correct the industries of the country will be more prosperous with free trade, or his approach to free trade, than they are now. Theories are always delightful, but men who work eight or ten hours per day want something more satisfactory for their meals.
 ! Here are the iron workers, about 350,- 900 strong. Part of them are get ting out ore; he makes ore free, and they are discharged. Part are making pig iron, and he puts the duty at $l.5O per ton to g. 25 per ton, so that Scotch iron can be imported here in unlimited quantities at lower prices than similar grades of American iron selling even at the unprecedented prices now prevail ing It is evident that part of the ore producers, and part of the pig iron pro ducers, must stand idle, earning .noth- ing, in order that the rest may have their materials cheaper. The theory is that the rest will do better, but what are the facts? Beginning with steel rails, these can be shipped from Middle boro at SIS per ton, and how much less it is impossible to state, because mo- body can say what sellers will swear as to the value of the rails they have sold. In this country after great de- pression rails are now selling for s24 per ton. It may be granted that the combination has been of no benefit to American industry, but of great harm to its development and defense,s But the worker would suffer from a depression, and he only. Nobody pays then hands for lying idle. Mir. Wilson takes wages from them and they get nothing Cheaper rails for the seaboard may result, perhaps, but what more?
 Back comes the question to the iron producers, for what are other miners and furnace-owners of New York and New Jersey, Virginia and West Vir- ginia going to do, with foreign iron of fered at their doors for less than pres ept panic prices, and with the mills closed at the east which manufacture such iron? With round iron 30 per cent, now 50 per cent; with beams 8 per cent, now GS per cent; with boiler iron 30 per cent, now 45 to 50 per cent with forged iron 30 per cent, now 50 per cent; with cotton ties, in which a great industry has been built up, now Al per cent, made free contrary to all regard for theories, or revenue either, in obedience to sectional demand; with tin plates, in which many new estab- lishments have been employed, put at 8 per cent instead of 70 per cent, and with steel ingots at 25 instead of 45 pel cent, what is this manufacture to do: Does anybody need to be told that z great proportion of the iron manufac turing works must close, and that g hundred thousand or more of the hands must be thrown out of employment with no hope of return?
 The situation evidently means the permanent stoppage of more than halt the works in the country. Instead oi S50,O00 persons employed there may possibly be employed at the most 175,' 900. The loss of wages for this alone would be about s75,OoO,000. If not more than 40 per cent be taken from the wages of the rest, to enable them to compete with foreign producers, the difference would be SSO, ,000, 900, so that | in all $105, 1000, 0OU would be taken from the amount which the iron workers are able to eypend in year. It is not ar encouraging fact, for other industries which can hardly thrive when the iron industry is reduced to part time and short wages. Yet this is called a rev enue tariff. Who are to buy the prod. ucts of foreign mills, American in ] dustries and American consumers being thus crippled? Within the last half year the demand for iron has been re duced nearly 60 per cent because tho people had stopped buying. Are we tc expect that the demand will be greater with the mills permanently closed which would ordinarily employ 175,OO hands? Is there a larger revenue to be raised by cutting off half the buying power of American consumers?-N. T. Tribune