Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1894-10-06
SAVINGS OF THE FREE LIST,


SAVINGS OF The fhee LIS
,t.uy Millions of Dollars saved to h
People of the Country.
The additions 10 the free list In the
new tariff will save the people Of this
country many millions of dollars 1t
will save them directly more than SILL
900. OOO, the amount Of tax paid in 1898
on the principal articles now added to
the list II will save them the much
larger sun that the protected manu-
facturers and producers were enabled
hy the tariff to charge for the domestic
articles.
The duty on some of the articles
now placed on the free list was pro-
hihitory. For example, the duty on
petroleum shut out all foreign compe-
tition. The tax on binding Irvine
was so large that 1t gave to the cord
= trust the monopoly of the business
and enabled it to Ak its own price. 1t
is evident, therefore, that the tax
must have cost the farmers more than
the s24q.I9 which was the whole
amount collected by the government
on binding Irvine in 1903.
The duty on hoop and band iron
manufactured wholly or partially into
ties was also nearly p%ruhibitory. In
1898 the government received only
Sl2. al from this tax, and this was
paid by the farmers who grow cotton.
1t was not all that these farmers paid,
l,u-arNr fnt. fhA INV Of N INV na,,t
permitted the i%ronInasters Of Pennsyl-
vania to increase their prices to the
point at which importation was too ex-
pensive to be profitable. Under the
new law the cotton planters will be
relieved Of the tai on the iron ties for
their bales.
The wheat-grovers will be benefited
still more. Besides binding-twine,
burlaps and bags for grain are made
free. The tax paid on these articles
amounted in 1893 to the very large sum
of ST. OBJ, 1881. The farmer did not pay
all of this, but he paid a good deaf of
it, and he will find that the removal of
the tax will make his crops Of grain
more valuable to him.
Another article which is necessary
to the farmer is salt. In 1898 the tax
collected on salt amounted to 500, 900.
For many years the tish-paciters of
New England have had their salt free
Of duty, but the farmers have paid the
tax on the salt used by them for cur
ing pork and feeding their cattle. Now
both stand on IN equal footing under
the revenue law of the country.
Among other benefits of the new
tariff law is the reduction in duties on
hats, tlanuels, shawls and blankets.
These necessaries of life were enor-
mously taxed under the Mckinley act.
Cheap foreign tlannels, hats, shawls
and blankets were practically prohib-
tied, the tax on them being heavier,
according to their value, than the tax
ON the more expensive articles of the
same classes.
In 1898 the tax on flannels valued at
80 cents a pound was 90 per cent. Only
s52 worth of these cheap goods was
imported. Flannels worth on the
average 80 cents a pound paid a tax at
the rate of 1881 per cent. The value of
the imports Of these Hannels in that
year was 1851. The tax on fl8nnels at 4S
cents was 1914 per cent, Flannels
worth 95 cents a pound paid a tax of
p6js per cent. and the imports were
worth S75,323.
The cheapest blankets, worth IS, "a
and AS cents a pound, paid taxes at the
rates of Ss4, 100 and 1O4 per cent. re-
spectively. Blankets worth @ cents
paid a tax rate of 81 per cent.
The cheapest shawls imported, worth
B5 cents a pound, were taxed at 1905
per cent; the dearest, worth 81. IA,
paid $50 per cent.
The tax on the cheapest hats was sc,
1905 and l0414 per cent. OF the cheap
est only $685. worth was imported in
1898, and on these n tax of $4.5S was
paid. The dearest hats paid a tax of
s74 per cent,
This inequality of taxation was due
to the specific duty on the pound. The
Mckinley tax on these articles was
mixed, part specific and part nd va
loren. For example, the tax on the
cheapest shawls imported vas SS15
cents n pound and 40 per cent. on the
value. The tax on the h~igh-prlced
ohawls was A cents a pound and 30
per cent, The very cheapest shawls
were absolutely prohibited by the Nc
Kinley act. The tax on shawls worth
81 cents a pound was heavier in pro-
portion to their value than the tax on
shawls worth Sl.l4 a pound.
The new law. which goes into eff
feet January l., 1895, as to wooden
goods, corrects this inequality. The
duty on these articles is based entire
ly on their value. Under the new law
hats, shawls, tiannels and blankets
that cost the most will pay the highest
rates of duty. The cheapest will be
taxed at % per cent, the next at 80
per cent. and the dearest at 80 per
cent. and 40 per cent.
Under the old law a cheap shawl
bought in Germany for so cents would
have cost Sl.25 with the duties added.
Under the new law it will cost 67h
cents, or a little more Than one-half.-
n. Y. World.
COMMENTS OF THE PRESS.
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