Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-04-05

without precedent. The iron industries
sustained a weekly production of ISL.
oo1 tons of pig May L, but October /
the output had fallen to I3. 1913 tons
and the recovery to about 100. 900 tons
December l still leaves 40 per cent
of the force unemployed. Over halt
the WOODEN manufactures are idle and
excepting a brief recovery III Novem
Der. have been ever since new WOO
came in in May. for all sales in the
chief markets in the eight months
have been but 100. 795, 400 pounds
partly for speculation, the price hav
ing fallen 20 per cent, for feeces tc
thv lowest point ever known. against
$3.50, 0O3 pounds in the same months
last year. Sales of cotton goods are
fully One-fourth below the usual guam,
tity. The small advance attempted in
bCttS and shoes Il year ago was not
sustained, but with prices as low as
ever the shipment of boots and shoes
from Boston are n per cent. less
than last year in December. Not only
manufactured goods as a whole, but
the most important farm products are
so low that farmers find little com
fort
The speaker then pointed out that
while the expenses Of the government
now exceed its revenues the Wilson
bill as it passed the house proposes
to reduce the revenues by over So
100000. ''This reduction" he said
is made upon the theory Of the demo
cratic free traders that it will relieve
the people of burdensome taxation.
Whether it does not not depends. But
of one thing we are certain: 1t has
relieved the people of employment, of
work, Of wages, of prosperity and of
plenty-and some of them Of their
homes The blessings of good wages,
good prices and good times are more
to be desired than the proposed relief
from sO-called Cumbersome taxation.
Such a relief is no relief"
Gov. Mckinley next reviewed the
past tariff history of the government,
showing that from Washington down
the Wisest American statesmen have
was followed by a criticism of the
Wilson bill. Referring to the reciproc-
ity arrangements made with England,
Germany, Spain and South American
countries, which that bill proposes to
annul, he said: "As the result of
these commercial arrangements, and
for the most part due to them, our
trade has shown a gratifying increase.
The domestic exports to Germany and
Austro-Hungary had increased in
value, up to December, 1892, from
$47, 10000 to 100000, or more than
the value Of our exports had increased
up to that date from 100000 to
S54, 100000, or upwards of % per cent.
The total increase in the value of eX-
ports to all countries with which re-
ciprOcal arrangements have been made
have been $20,772,621 which sum is
chiefly from wheat, flour, meat and
dairy products, from lumber and the
manufactures of iron and steel. Our
imports with these countries have in
creased also in the same period, con-
sisting of articles which we do not
ourselves produce, like sugar, coffee,
india rubber and crude drugs.
During the first half of the year
1891 we exported to Cuba $4,000 bar
relS of flour. During the first half of
the year 1892, under the reciprocity
clause, we exported to the same cOun-
try 337 900 barrels. For the next year
ending August 81, 1891, our total ex-
ports to Cuba were 81, 100000 For
the corresponding period, ending Aug
ust 81, 1892, our total exports were
S19 100000, under a law not yet two
years in operation. Of this great in
crease nearly 100000 were in flour,
about 100000 were in bacon, pork
and other provisions, and a large pro-
portion of the remaining exports were
also agricultural products. And yet
the democratic leaders in congress seri-
ously propose to shut the door of this
splendid opportunity in the face Of the
American farmer.
1.-THE present law was adequate to
meet all the expenses of the govern
ment, and did meet them for the first
two and a half years of it's operation.
During no year of President Harri-
sons administration did the receipts
fall below the expenses OF the govern
ment, and when President Harrison
went out of power, while his admins
tTation had paid off more than $780,
100000 of the principal and interest
of the national debt, yet he turned
over to the administration which sue
ceeded him surplus of upward of
1924 100000, including the reserve
fund, which under the republican
policy has never been encrOached upon.
eff there is not enough revenue now
it is because the proposed change of
policy has had the effect of diminish
ing it. The proposed policy has not
only disturbed domestic trade, but the
import trade. The reason the revenues
are less under the present administra-
ton is because importations are less,
and the importations are less because
our people buy less of foreign goods
just as they are now buying less of
domestic goods, also owing to their
pecuniary distress, and all this is be
cause their incomes and wages have
been either cut off or greatly re
duced.
you cannot have large importa-
lions permanently unless the people
are prosperous, and the more prosper
Gus they are the larger the importa-
tons. When home posperity is re-
tarded importations are checked and
revenues diminish; hence the strictly
revenue tariff can never be depended