Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-05-09

THE UNDEkNALI ALTON HOW l..
notwithstanding the accommodating
evidence Of reviying trade and indus
try in nearly all branches, the calam-
ity. organs are still snarling. Having
been smoked out from every other pre-
text for preaching encouragement and
depression. these worst of copperheads
have started a false howl about the
vicious ad valorem system under
which monsuous frauds are perpeua-
ted upon the government and crushing
injustice done American manufactur-
ers." TO quote one of them.
Now. every American manufacturer
knows that under the new tariff the adj
vaIorem duties on wooIens-the sched-
ule complained of-are below the ad
valorem rates in the Mckinley bill.
Hence. if monsuous differentiation is
going on under the present tariff, what
must have been the extent of the fraud
under the Mckinley act, which piled
on TOP Of q more vicious ad valorem
system excessive specific duties? AS
the Philadelphia Record points out, so
great were the frauds in the valuations
of wooden goods under the Mckinley
tariff that the manufacturers employed
agents at much expense to detect the
importers and custom house officials
engaged i'm these transactions. 1t will
be news TO American manufacturers of
woolens to be told that they are now
subjected for the first time to Crush
ing injustice" by the ad valorem
system i'm the Democratic tariff.
in putting wool on the free list the
new tariff repeats the so-called com
pensatory" specific duties on woolens,
and retains. or slightly reduces in
some instances. The ad valorem rates.
Thus i'm the Mckinley tariff the duties
on hauueIs for underwear was 40 per
cent ad valorem. and in addition
thereto was levied a specific duty on
the pound three and a half times the
duty imposed on a pound Of unwashed
wool of the first class. On wool Of the
first class the duty was 1 cent a
pound in the Mckinley act, making
the specific duty on pound of flannel
1872 cents. besides the ad valorem duty
Of 40 per cent. The combined duties
on flannel in the Mckinley tariff
amounted to % per cent, and these
were by no means the highest on wool
ems i'm that act of denominations. In
the new tariff the highest duty on fan
nels is So per cent. SO much for the
vicious ad valorem system Of the new
tariff with Its direct invitation to
mousuous frauds upon the government
and crushing injustice to American
manufacturers through undervalua-
ton"
American manufacturers are in
formed that they do not know where
to turn" under this vicious system"
They are turning gladly to free raw
materials and to new markets for
their products. At the same time they
are turning away forever from a sys-
tenn which, in taxing their raw mate
rails and making large promise Of pro
lection, afforded the greatest encour-
agement and temptation to every yari-
ETY. Of smuggling. Under the McIlin-
ley system the markets were flooded
with undervalued and struggled for
eign wooden goods, with which honest
importers paying lawful duties and
manufacturers heavily taxed for their
raw materials could not compete. If
there are any American manufactur-
ers of wooden fabrics who desire a res
toration Of the Mckinley schedule of
duties on wool and woolens they are
not putting themselves very strongly
i'm evidence.