The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1895-01-04
The New Wooden Tariff.

The wooden schedule of the new Tariff
bill takes effect to-day, and it Is by les sue
cess or failure in practice tina, the law will
ultimately be judged.
Mr. Sehoenhot estimates that as re-
suit of this single schedule the American
consumer will gain SI6S, 634 900 year
over Mckinley prices for woolens. The
reduction Ia duties viii be from $s3 .ooo. 900
to Sas.ooo,ooo. Mr. Sehoenhef assumes that
the gain beyond this sum will be 10 the dif-
ference In the amounts of unnatural prices
tits possible to levy under the TWO tariffs.
The effect of the new law has already
been discounted by a reduction ofircm IS
to upwards of as per cent in dress goods,
knit goods, carpets and other wooden fab
RIGS in common use, but i, is as yet impossl.
10 tell with even an approach. to accuracy
how much of this reduction is due to the
change in the law and how much TO the
greatly decreased demand incident to basi-
ness depression.
Itmay be assumed, hoSever. that wooien
goods of most common use, such as are
most needed by the masses. Will be Perma.
neatly cheaper, as it Was on these that the
Mckinley law levied Its highest puiies. The
effort of that Jaw was to give American
manufacturers complete monopoly of all
cheap goods, leaving competition possible
OILY in such fieer goods as are worn by
those In good circumstances. AS result
of this the production Of fine woolens in
America has been greatly discouraged. and
1t may be expected that manufacturers who
now find IL ineoavienent to meet eompeti
tion in course fabrics will turu their a.ten-
ton to producing goods OF better quality
While ii is thus reasonably certain that
the wearers of coarser woolens ~ill receive
a great and permanent benefit ftom the las,
1t will not do 10 assume tha, It viii necessar-
ally result In permanently forcing down the
price of woolen goods all along The line.
The question OF the division OF the bene
FITS of free wool Is stili 10 be settled between
manufacturers and the public, bat as the
ficilities for competition in manufacture
are greatly increased by the increased ease
/ of securing the raw material IN. ultimate
benefit must accrue most largely to the
public. In the meantime American manu-.
facturers will be the gamers by being placed
on an equality with the manufacturers OF
England aud Germany, whose wool Is not
| taxed.
The effect Of free wool in The East is bound
to be most beneficial. Out Of S74S2 spin.
dies in the United States 77.S47 are In New
York. New Jersey, Pennsylvania aud Nev
England. Freight rates by water from shs
Cape of Good Hope are cheaper than ar
railroad rates from Texas or frcm the WOO.
gros. ing States of the irans-MississiPp
west-a fact which may figure m The West
ern politics Of the future. But whether \
does or roi Eastern mills now have free
wool aud tariff on woOlens giving them I
protection of IS. 81 p:r cent above the oost
| of foreign xoo.ens. Wilh such advantage
they ought to supply London and Beriir
with woosens-
The average rate of taxation on woo,eal
under the new law represents reduction
of %. so per cent from The average rate o
the Mckinley bill. The economic question
which rsmairs TO BE- decided By the ,es, o
practice is Il how much les prohibi;ise 4
tax against imports o. IS ceass on the dolla
Is Than one of 9S cents: 0alY expe,ienc,
can answer it, but in the mean tins W,
have already great ehearening il III
woolen goods most needed by The people.