The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-05-06

son were DeNeNSrS III pEOlScuOA- <AS
usual with protectonists. he suppresses
a part Of the facts. Jefferson and Madi-
son yielded to the imposition of s per
cent tax on iron ito give the iron in
dustries a start" on the express condi-
ton that even this moderate protection
was to last for only seven years. 1t is
now more than 100 years since then;
the tax on iron has increased to 40 per
cent.
Mr.. Bulge so far forgets himself in
another place as TO mention an article
of which a record is kept. viz, steel
rails He says protection brought down
their price. Let US see.
Carroll D. Wright, United States com
missioner of labor, reports that the ae-
tuai cost OF manufacturing a ton of
steel rails in this country is not more
than S3.7S greater than it is in Eng
land. The duty to pay this difference
/ in cost is S1344 a ton. What becomes
of the odd $40?
In August, 1888, English steel rails
were quoted at S1763 per ton. and from
May to August, 1886, they were regular
~ quoted at S16.42 We do not need
protection against British steel rails at
$35 per ton. but against steel rails at
( $16.42 per ton"
The foregoing paragraph is quoted
/ the Republican high protection author
! ity. from which all the western protec-
ton papers quote.
The Fifteenth Statistical Abstract OF
the United States. page S41, gives the
/ price of American protected" steel
rails for 1856 at $3.50. or Just S1SO4
higher than the English price for that
year.
That year the steel rail trust got $500
extra price due TO protection. for each
ton of rails sold, with which to pay a
difference in labor cost of $3.7S per ton.
What became of the other $14.262. Did
it go to build Carnegie castles in Scot
land?
English rails recently have risen from
$3.50 to $40, according to the Iron Age.
The price of American rails for the
year 1892 averaged $50 per ton, accord
ing to the Statistical Abstract
1t is clear that the duty of S13.44 is
added to the price of American rails,
and that the American rails have been
prevented, by the tariff tax, from fall
ing in price with the improvements in
production to the extent that the price
has been reduced in other countries.
Protectionists pirate much of the fall
in price of iron and steel rails. We find
that rails in 1858 were $50 a ton; $40 the
} next year: $4S the next; $40 the next,
and 81 the next Now they are $50
Wonderful fall of price in thirty years,
isn't it? Iron rails are no longer made.
They were $45 a ton in 1882. the last
year of their production. The next year
steel rails at $37 displaced them; but
protectionists always quote their price
in the deprecated currency of 1867, at
S166 per ton, when the first ton made
was of course a mere experiment.
Thanks to the tariff tax rails are al
ways much dearer here than in other
countries; but the tariff cannot wholly
prevent the reduction in price that is
due to improved machinery and pro-
cesses. The tariff makes that redue-
ton less here than it is anywhere else
that is ALL
The same is true of protected pig
iron. The average price of this article
the basis of manufacturing industry
was for the years 1SS1-9O in the United
States $20SS per ton: according to the
Statistical Abstract for 1892, page 342.
The average price of pig-iron in Eng
land during this period was S11-66 per
ton; according to Mulhalls Dictionary
of Statistics, page 4Sl.
The tax on pig-iron is 1872 per ton
y That tax and the freight across the
ocean are added to every ton sold in
this country. Yet there was SIS. 800 93(
: worth of American manufactures OF
. iron and steel. including $3.50, 915 worth
of pig iron, sent abroad in 1891 anc
sold in the open markets of the world
at the worlds prices without the ta2
added. This iron was sold that muct
cheaper to foreigners. This robbery
Mr.. Bulge labors to show is con
stitutional' robbery.
Bar iron is also protected. II.
average price in 1SS1-S9 was $3O.66 pei
ton in England. and $50 per ton in tbs
United States. Bar iron is sent abroad
from this country every year, and i;
of course sold at the foreign price
Get another quotation from Jefferson
; Mr. Bulge, showing that this tariff
stealing is Constitutional" All pro
tected articles Of manufacture arr
similarly higher-priced here thar
, abroad. How is it with farm products
The average price of nay per ton fol
twelve years including 1889 was in Eng
. land $3.50, according TO Mulhal. tn,
greatest authority on statistics. VIVA
"a ash n.
people of Idaho to put this question t,
Mr.. Bulge.
/ The average price of straw in Eng
land for twelve years was 1914 per ton
Ask Mr.. Bulge if he gets that muci
; for his straw; and if not, why not
1t is protected. So is hay. Ask hin
why protection does not increase tn
price of farm products.
Wheat is protected. Its averag
price in England from 1881 to 1890 wa
S1.30 per hundred weight, or rs cents
bushel ASK Mr.. Bulge what he get
+, for his wheat He is a practical farmer
He is also honest, and will probabl.
tell you he gets 40 to so cents a bushel
=. The average price of beef in Englan
: by the ton during the years ISIS
was $2S7.3 SO or about "A 1-3 cents Pc
> pound, wholesale. ASK Mr.. Bulge VIVA
:, he gets for his steers after payin
. freight on them to Chicago. He vii
: tell you 4 cents a pound on foot or 6.
= cents a pound dressed and sailed.
: 1t is the same with everything. tn
farmer sells cheap and buys dear
y This is what protection does for hin
:. and this is ali protection does for hin