Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-09-27
SAVINGS CF THE FREE LIST.
.sGny Millions of Dollars Saved to the
PeODle of the Country,

.xsny Millions of Dollars Saved to the
People of the Country.
The additions to 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
100000, the amount of tax paid in 1898
on the principal articles now added to
the list. 1t will save them the much
larger sum that the protected manu-
facturers and producers were enabled
by the tariff to charge for the domestic
articles.
The duty on some of the articles
now placed on the free list was pro-
hibitory. For example, the duty on
petroleum shut out all foreign compe-
tition. The tax on binding Irvine
vas SO large that it gave to the cord
&c trust the monopoly of the business
;.lG enabled it to fix its own price. 1t
!, evident, therefore, that the tax
INST have cost the farmers more than
- G2i9.79 which was the whole
amount collected by the government
On binding Irvine in 1898.
The duty on hoop and band iron
manufactured wholly or partially into
ties was also nearly prohibitory. In
1893 the government received only
S12.211 from this tax, and this was
paid by the farmers who grow cotton.
1t was not all that these farmers paid,
however, for the tax of 40 per cent.
permitted the ironmasters 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 tax on the iron ties for
their bales.
The wheat-growers will be benefited
still more. Besides binding-twine,
burlaps and bags for grain are made
free. The tax paid on these articles
amounted in 1898 to the very large sum
OF 81, OBS, S31. The farmer did not pay
all of this, but he paid a good deal 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 S3O2, 0O0
For many years the fish-packers 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 an equal footing under
the revenue law Of the country.
Among other benefits of the new
tariff law is the reduction in duties on
hats, fanneis, shawls and blankets.
These necessaries of life were enor
mously taxed under the Mckinley act.
n ffou h,+S ho yx-1c
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 hannels valued at
30 cents pound was So per cent. Only
So worth of these cheap goods was
imported. tlannels worth on the
average 81 cents a pound paid tax at
the rate of lU373 per cent. The value of
the imports of these hannels in that
year was SOL. The tax on fiannels at 4S
cents was 1854 per cent Flannels
worth So cents a pound paid a tax of
9615 per cent. and the imports were
worth SIS, 1873.
The cheapes. blankets, worth %, 81
and IS cents a pound, paid taxes at the
rates of $50, 100 and 104 per cent. re-
spectively. Blankets worth 9o cents |
paid a tax rate Of 81 per cent.
The cheapest shawls imported, worth |
30 cents pound, were taxed at 1905 |
per cent; the dearest, worth S1.14, |
paid $50 per cent.
The tax on the cheapes. hats was SO, |
1865 and 1914 per cent. Of the cheap
est only $3.50 worth was imported in
1898, and on these a tax of $4.5S was |
paid. The dearest. hats paid tax of |
81 4 per cent.
This inequality Of taxation was due |
TO the specific duty Oh the pound. The |
Mckinley tax on these articles was |
mixed, part specific and part ad va
orem. For example, the tax on the |
cheapest shawls imported was 3s15 |
cents pound and 40 per cent. on the |
value. The tax on the high-prlced |
,hawls was A cents a pound and so |
per cent. The very cheapest shawls |
were absolutely prohibited by the Nc
kinley act. The tax on shawls worth |
s. cents pound was, heavier in pro-
portion to their value than the tax on |
shawls worth 81. IA a pound.
The new law, which goes into eff
feet January l, 1885, as to wooden |
goods, corrects this inequality. The |
duty on these articles, is based entire |
" On their value. Under the new law |
hats, shawls, fiannels and blankets |
that cost the most will, pay the highest |
rates, of duty. The cheapest will be
IA xed at 25 per cent, the next at 80
per cent. and the dearest at 35 per
cent. and 40 per cent
Under the old law a cheap shawl |
bought in Germany fer so cents would
have cost S1.25 with the duties added |
[ nder the new law it will cost 671s
cents, or a little mora. than one-half.-l
n. Y. World.