The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1894-01-19
CONSUMPTION AND PRICES.

Chairman Wilson stated in his report,
accompanying the bill reported by the
majority members of the Ways and
Means Committee, that twO-thirds of
the worlds production of carpets were
consumed in this country; undoubted-
ly the statement is correct, and he
might have gone further and stated that
this country consumes like proportion
of the production of all articles that can
not be clasSed as actual necessaries of
life. He might also have gone still
further and made the logical deduction
from these facts, that the consuming
power of this country is far in excess of
any other country, and that it is so be-
cause of its greater prosperity, and that
its prosperity is due to the higher stan
dard of living among the masses. 1t is
the masses that make a country gauge
its consuming powers; and upon their
prosperity depends its prosperity, and
this prosperity depends wholly upon
the earning capacity of the people.
Chairman Wilson might have extended
his inquiries still beyond this point and
investigated the question of cost OF
goods to consumers compared to rates
of wages, and drawn parallel between
this country and other countries. He
would have found that while the cost of
goods at the factories averages higher
here than abroad, the price at which the
goods 90 to the consumer is at an aver
age less than abroad. To many this
may seem contradictory and inconsist-
ent, but 1T is a fact the general prices
are lower in this country than abroad,
though the cost at the mill is greater:
paratiyely, it is true of all prices
and prices of many articles are actually
lower.
Take clothing for instance; it is cou-
ced"d by tariff refOTmers, who have an
actual knowledge Of the facts, that the
masses in tnis country pay less for cloth
ing than in England, the one country
which tariff refOrTnGrS use for purposes
OF comparison, and yet the cost OF wool
ems at the mil must be accepted as
greater than in England. We copl!
even cite as 2n illustration foreign made
goods which, in spite of the duty paid
to get them in here, are retailed over tue
counters at lower prices than in London
or Paris. This apparent inconsistency
is eXpIainable by reason of the greater
efficiency OF the machinery Of distribu-
ton, excessive competition among and
smaller profits of final distributors.
large consumption of goods, shopping
characteristics of our people, etc.
Chairman Wilson might have pursued
this inquiry with some profit to his
knowledge, though possibly with dam
age to his political theories.
The facts are significant, and furnish
a strong argument against any modifi-
cation Of the tariff that will in any way
lessen the wage-earning power of the
people. The high wages earned in this
country has made this condition posi-
bic, and it is only possible of continu.
ance by continuing that policy which
will enable the manufacturer to sus-
tain the wages paid. Any policy di-
rected against the wage-earning power
Of the masses must curtail the consum-
ing power, and consequently revolution
lze the method of distributing goods,
and instead of large sales and small
profits the rule would be small sales and
large profits. Is the country ready for
the change?-Wooi Reporter.