New-York tribune., 1893-12-10
TARIFF on SALT NECESSARY.
AN AMERICAN MANUFACTURER DISCUSSES THE
sUEJECT-pIFFICrLTY OF COMPETING
WITH ENGLISH DEALERS.

The recently published interviews with f. T.
Thur6er, William A. Hazard and others on the
question of removing the duty on salt have given
the views and arguments of the Importer Mr.
Thurber Is agent Of the Higgins Eureka salt
Company Of Liverpool. and Mr.. Hazard is the
American representative Of the British salt Union
To get the views of the American manufacturer OF
this article a Tribune reporter called yesterday
upon Foster Brown & Co. No. lG broadway. they
being the representatives OF the largest salt pro-
ducers in the country. Edward W. Brown discussed
the subject at length. having apparently made a
most careful examination Of the whole matter
The present tariff on SALT said he. is cents per
100 pounds ali salt imported In bulk and IL cents
per 100 pounds salt imported In packages-dairy
and factory filled grades the only ones Imported
In packages. and he extra cents per 100 POUNDS are
pu, on as a duty on the fine linen sacks In which
this salt is imported and which are not otherwise
subject 20 duty. The tariff on all salt Is therefore
cents Der 100 pounds, p 90 ton Of 200 pounds
glance at the existing freight rates and current
selling prices will show how necessary this small
protection Is TO the American salt manufacturers
..ForeIgn salt has recently been sold In New-York
CITY and can to-day be bought for 50 % ton This
low price is made possible because the salt Is
brought from England or the Mediterranean as
ballast at a merely nominal freight. and the present
freight rate Is no lower than the for the past
five years The freight from Liyerrool to New- eT
or 81 10 per gross ton. the average being about rs
G d 81 or S Ssna Ses per WS the s duty w Of 81 g Ton
moved foreign salt could be sold at New-York
antic ports, for 81 80 per ton. and at the freight
Of 81 cents this price would net the foreign mani-
"fhe largest salt producing district In the United
States is the Western New-Y9rk salt nelds and tn the
Phadepha and atim9re Is & s. tor "a ana TO ton bos
% 9Sn aRe ihqrefore .HSs. be- seen that british
sell and make the profit i Is now willing to
4Sa for 10 eSss tS less & cy or
cents a ton less than the freight to Boston
efrectvely drive domestic salt from the coast, and
this REASONING Is s verified by & he actual c % condition
fish is free OF duty. and what Is the result? For
effort to Sell to the hsh trade at Gloucester ana
other Ncw;cngland towns as well as the Potomac
suited for this purpose, as proved by LIS extended
rse the Great Lakes they have neyer been
and today not a pound Of domestic salt Is beins
% used b for wsEn eE S On 9S comSsea G9as
reach the Erie Canal at Rochester at cost OF 80
ing out. which is always Included in foreign freight.
| ranges from 81 to q % a ton. The average canal
a saving of 10 cents a ton the railroad rate
tn! s, 9 q from
salt from New-York to Buffalo ls Gu per gross
iSo " be ton Po5' to "h
the. starting poni Of al Western shIpments for
salt an alvan,age Of S. cents. WITH the American
/
readily be seen that the slight advantage gained
In freight charges TO Buffalo Is entirely inadequate
| to enable the American manufacturer TO compete
successfully with the foreign producer who will
| be very willing to sell his surplus salt In the
| Western markets without profit. and at a
small loss.
| "Cnder the provisions OF the Wilson bill. the
! West would be the only possible market available
for American salt and II manufacturers are forced
| TO meet this competition there and sell their
! products without profit the only alternative would
| be to close up their works. The present existing
| duty is not an apprectable tax TO any one In
| any light hardship.
| 'sThe argument IS used that salt Is n necessity
\ of every poor man In the land a family OF -four
| to six persons, on thu average twenty five
dduced by the full amount OF the present duty, a
/ saving OF cents per year TO each family would
| be effected But the salt Is generally bought In
| three-pound bags. for which the retailer gets :
| cents per bag-the removal OF the duty would re-
| duce the price to ~ cents per bag. As our cur
| rency is not OF n denomination 10 make this frac-
tion possible n IL evident that the Of n three
! hound bag would not be reduced
''The farmer is taxed for the salt used In his
| dairy? Yes: how much? One pound will salt six
teen rounds OF butter. reduction Of ~ cents per
| 100 pounds duty on salt imported in packages)
! would effect saving 10 tho farmer OF | cent on
every ia ia pounds OF butter salted by hfm. and
! even this triling reduction would result to The
| benefit of the dealer and not to the farmer as In
| the case OF table salt.
| For commercial purposes salt IL most largely
| used for curing FISH, packing meats sailing hides.
| Freezing ice cream and In the manufacture OF
| chenicals For all OF these uses the Of salt
| Is such q small item. being on the average less