The record-union., 1894-05-03
ROYAL BAKING POWDER.

LuDln taxes, COSilluStraC0, CASE VI IOl-
eign goods valued at $l00, and adds the
amounts to $3.50. A portion-s69-he calls
absolutely fiat, having no existence
whatever as value when judged by the
worlds standard, because it never was
part of the cost OF the goods"
have no disposition to find fault with
terms when subject is explained so
plainly, but am unable to comprehend
how a tariff tax is any more fiat than the
taxes on home productions, and | am un-
able TO comprehend how the profits
charged by dealers on the added tariff
cost of the goods is any more fiat than the
balance OF their charges for handling and
profits. There is certainly no law COM
polling them to make these charges.
Mr.. Lubin'S assertion that working
men, manufacturers, professional men
and capitalists do not pay for protection,
and that 1.-THE producers OF staple agri-
cultural products--that is products sur
plus OF which is eXported-pay every
penny of it, l think will not bear analy-
| sis.
The consumer, whoever he may be-.
pays for the imported goods with all OF
their added charges before they reach
him, and as the agriculturist is not the
| exclusive, or, | think, even the principal,
consumer, he cannot poSsl bly, pay all that
is paid for protection.
OF course, the higher price paid for i'm
ported goods than might rule under free
| trade increases the expenses OF the agri-
culturist in proportion to the amount OF
such goods which he consumes, and it
will affect the workingman, the manu-
facturer, the professional man and the
| capitalist in the Same way.
Mr.. Lubin does not show that tariff on
.other merchandise deteriorates the price
| of agricultural products, surplus or less;
1 ..r,Ar Nh
pete with the world sufficiently to keep
that kind of production out of our mar
kets, l think they would be entitled to a
! tariff protection on their products; but
! DO not see the justice or necessity Of or for
subsidizing producers of surplus prod
| ucts of agriculture any more than any
other class of producers; neither can [
| see the deSirability of enabling one class
| of producers to charge our home con-
sumers 10 per cent. more than the natu
raj law of supply and demand would per-
! NIT them to realize. 1t seems to me
! another effort to set aside natural law
| which | believe to be inexorable In favor
! of an, occupation.
| Such efforts are very common now, but
I have observed that any degree Of sue
cess attained by any class is always
and l believe always will beat the ex-
pense of others. | presume Mr.. Lubin
| will find advocates and adherents for his
| scheme; for the worlds people are essen
| TALLY selfish and they are apt to believe,
| or to profess to believe, that everything
| which conduces to their own prosperity
! is the best thing for all others; but think
| he will find it very difficult to convince
the workingmen III other occupations
| that a ten per cent. rise on the pricesof the
necessaries of life is for their benefit.
High prices for labor and low prices for
the products of that labor are not con-
comitants and nothing but the inventive
! genius bestowed on man has enabled the
ordinary workingman to attain to the en-
joyment of so many luxuries and conve-
niences, and possibilities of intercourse
and travel, which are now within the
reach of the great majority i'll our coun-
try; and yet there are grumblers because
of the many inventions, and envy and
| ill-feeling because the benefits have not
| Injured equally to all.
know from personal observation that
! the inventive genius which has reduced
! che price of many products to a very low
! figure, making them obtainable by peo-
| pie of moderate means, and also created
| possibilities 1or mans enjoyment in
many ways, has not reduced the price of
| labor, either manual or mental. Prices
| for labor are more than double what they
were fifty years ago; as a consequence,
some things which are not produced by
machinery are higher than they were
! then; but the laboring classes are not tied
down to one locality anu twelve to six
| teen hours of daily labor for a scant SUBJ
sistence, as very many were within my
remen brance.
/ would like to see more scheming for
the benefit Of all. and less scheming for
the benefit of cliques or classes; and
would like to have all men realize that
| what whatever is for the benefit of any
| one or more-and not detriment to any
/ -one or more--is desirable; but that
whatever is benefit to some, and equally
detriment to others, may not be desir-
able.
If Mr.. Lubin, who uses imports and
exports to illustrate or prove his asser-
tioEs. will take his quoted imports at the
selling price here, and trace it back to the
producer from whom it was exported,
! think he will find that producer in a
much worse condition than ours, al
though he has no tariff to pay on our free
| trade exports, as Mr.. Lubin asserts our
producers of exports have to pay all tariff
duties on all of our imports.
I would like to know If Mr.. Lubin has
figured up what the 10 per cent. on our
| exports, and possible exports, amounts
to, or may amount to, and if he is sure
the tariff on our imports would be-
automatically, as he says-sutficent to
pay the same.
1 have not given Mr.. Lubin's exact
figures, but have tried to show the prin-
ciples and probable consequences of the
scheme he advocates, and that mostly by
| inferences, which think he, and many
others, are perfectly competent to COM
prehend. NJ. A. b.
Sacramento, May 2, 1894.
n