The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-01-28
ANOTHER or PROFESSOR WILSON'S
ANOMALIES.

ANOmhtf1'.
predecessor Wilson Is n doctrinarlan ana
, very bad one at that. In disregard Oh
ali Democratic doctrine he has ira''i.u
his new protective tariff bill on the
,,oor,os of q doctrinarian and without
any sort of regard to practical every
aoy focts and experience In life, and
the consequence is he has violated JUS
tlce at all points and involved hlmseH
in many very great absurdiues' we
have already shown how, in going 10
the governments college o, politicians
called the Department Of Labor Tor
information instead Of TO the manu-
facturers, he has been fooled into be-
lieving that steel rails cost s. more per
ton in this country than they actually
cost. We shall show this morning bad
break in his scale for taxing pig-iron.
The Mckinley bill, which is the law
we now live under, imposes a specihc
tax Of $6.72 per ton on all pig-iron that is
imported This Is not a tax. 1t is Simply
in the main prohibition against The
importation Of pig-irOn. and Professor
Wilson was perfectly right to undertake
a reformation at this point But how
did he reform? lie has provided for a
duty of y IL per cent al valOrem on
all pig-iron This will amount 10 some
thing like SLIGO per ton on the lowest
grade OF pig-iron. How will this work?
The Englishman will send the three
grades of his iron here all mixed up
together and invoice them as Of the
lowest grade. 1t will be thus consigned
to his agent i'm this country, and it Will
be sampled and graded after it gets
here so that all the higher grades will
come in under the tax intended for the
lowest grade, If not openly by smuggling
or nesting" as the tobacco dealers
call it.
This takes all protection off OF iron
and makes the bill a practically free
trade bill so far as Virginia p.g-iron is
concerned. For. the freight to New York
from Liverpool on iron is small enough
to be practically nothing Ship masters
are glad to get 1t as ballast and would
bring as such much, most OF what this
country will take from Europe. The re-
suit is that an Englshman will be able
to lay iron of all grades down in New
York for the price of the iron, plus
about SLIGO, while 1t costs 50 per ton
to send iron Of all grades from the
Virginia furnaces TO New York. Here
Is fragrant example Of Professor VIII
sons act being framed so as to benefit
the New Highlander. without the slightest
regard TO the interests of the iron pro-
ducers in the rest of the United States.
or at least in Virginia.
The true principle on which duty should
be imposed on pig-iron is one that will
make each grade pay according to its
value after having due regard to all
other considerations involved in the case.
We should review the sales of each
grade for number Of years and thus
get some definite idea of an average for
its price, and then impose specific
duty per ton on each grade proportion
ed to its value.
But we in Virginia have a right TO
complain that duties are so adjusted as
to protect the manufacturers Of New
England. whilst our iron and coal are
thrown into competition with the rest
Of the world. Free ore is not the only
injury Mr. Wilson win cause MS. The
diminished duty on pig-iron Will hurt us
more than free ore.
Now free trader that the Times Is. it
has a right to complain OF Mr.. Wilson
giving New England manufacturers of
wooden goods a protection of 81 in
every $40. as he said in the House, on
January 18th, his bill would do, and
forcing Virginia coal and iron to compete
with the rest of the world Equality is
equity. II there is 10 be protection. let
our coal and iron share with the rest
in its benefits. 1t is not Democracy TO
deny 1t to US.