The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-11-02
THE OLD CHESTNUTS.
A WORklNGMAN'S VIEWS ON "THE
TARIFF is A TAX"

basis of the old chestnuts, 1.-The tariff
is a tax" and the tangle legged claim
that everything we buy will be lowered
in cost by the amount taken off from
the tariff ON it if it should be brought
from out of the country. Though this
theory is proving mud for food and
ditch water for drink to large portion
Of the working class, let us for the mo-
ment suppose it to be true and see what
saving in my cost of living, as l used
to live when had steady work, can be
expected to come to me through it. Elk
cepting tea, coffee, sugar and molasses,
which were already free and could not
be cheapened in that way, flour, meat,
butter, cheese, milk and vegetables
make up the food / use.
By the bill you have reduced the tar
if on -four 8 per cent. about 10 cents a
barrel; ON meat, butter and cheese,
cents pound; ON milk, N cents a
quart; ON potatoes, 10, and onions, 30
cents q bushel, and ON other vege-
tables 10 per cent of the cost, not 10
per cent on the price we pay at the
store, but on the cost at the custom
house. before the duty, the freights in
the country and the wholesalers and
retailers profits are added, not above
10 per cent of the store selling price,
Our present supply Of all these is raised
wholly in this country. Flour and wheat
from Minnesota and the northwest;
meat, alive and dead, from Texas and
the west, and butter and cheese, from
all parts. are now exported, often by the
shipload, to England, where, at higher
price than we pay here, they largely
drive out the same articles sent from
Canada or produced in that country.
Milk cannot be carried more than a
few miles or hours without spelling, SO
practically none can come from other
countries, tariff or no tariff, and your
claimed saving in that is clearly fraud.
My vegetables now come from nearby
farmers and cost me about 80 cents a
week, or $3.50 year. AS all these
articles, however, are as low or lower
here than in free trade England, where
labor is one-half and there are no duties
at all, and as they were higher here I'M
der the lower tariff five years ago than
under the Mckinley high tariff just
done away with, it is certain that the
tariff, whether high or low, has no eff
feet on their cost, and your bill will
give me no real saving from them.
The tariff on salt you have reduced
about 3 cents q year ON the quantity
used by my family, but I used so little
in value of that and of other groceries
not named that the reduction you make
ON them is too small to waste time over,
My fuel is hard coal, but as it was al
ready free of duty and can only be OBJ
tanned from Pennsylvania no saving
can be made from it. My oil for light
also comes from this country, which
supplies large part of the world, but
even if it can DO brought from Russia
the only other country which can fur
nish it in quantities-insideo of the cent
gallon reduction you have made, all
the saving will go to the dealers.
My tobacco is all raised in this coun-
try and will not be cheapened. My
whisky, if 1 used it, would cost me 30
cents more gallon, which means per-
haps more water or poison in my drinks,
certainly no saving, and probably more
cost My rent is governed wholly by To-
cation, the kind and finish of the build
ing and the space occupied, and will not
be affected. Many more houses than can
find tenants are already built, and no
man will be fool enough to put up new
ones, with prospect that they will re-
main largely vacant, just to give me
cheaper rent, even if few dollars saved
by the lower tariff of 81 thousand
through free lumber and q reduction on
other materials will enable him to do so.
My clothing has hitherto been of
American material and make, my outer
garments "all wool, fast oolors and
durable" now get each year two
suits, or suit and an overcoat; hat,
So; two pairs Of shoes, Sc, and q sup
ply of shirts, collars, underclothes,
stockings, etc., some of which are made
at home, 81. l find you have reduced
the tariff 40 cents on my hat, IA cents a
pair on my shoes, an article also largely
exported, and about so cents on my
shirts, underclothes, etc. AS to outer
clothing, one of the largest importers
of English, French and German goods
in New York months ago instructed
tailors over the country to notify their
customers that the reduction in tariff
on wooden cloths and by free wool
made by your law will lower the price
of such suit as you buy not over 50
or 50 and Of cne made of such cloth as
use no more than 81.
This is business, not theory, and be-
ing from merchants whose business and
interest it is to sell all the foreign goods
possible must be considered reliable
therefore concluded that 81 on suit or
an overcoat-$2 for my years supply
is the most can save ON them.
Putting these together, find that the
tariff duty on all my clothing will be
reduced by $3.03 a year--that is, if
your claims were true, might get it
for so much less In the same manner
find the reduction on clothing for my
wife and my boy may possibly mount
to SO. so more, making altogether SO. SO
a year for me and my family, and, in
Guiding everything, total of So a
year on our necessaries of life.
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