New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-11
me nor or rrEE IEADERS.

once more there comes The rejoicing ~ tho
Free Trader because though he was not per
mltieA 10 do hal: The harm he tried 10 do. i'm
ports If foreign goods are nevertheless ncrca-
Ing. and. consequently. revenue from duties N
imports In spite Of m" reduction Of duties by
which goods have been chcapcncd, The Free
Trader saws. the customs revenue begins 10 IN
crease With some compaccncy he tells us this
was just what he expected and desired Let
his claim be considered then. in the light Of
current facts.
Since January / the imports OF drygoods at
New York have been $31 BIOL 1913 in value. This
+. the invoiced foreign valuation, and as the
duties have been made wholly ad valorcm on
the more important imported goods. there IL
palpablv present the strongest inducemcnt and
the easiest opportunity 10 escape duties by I'M
dervalulng the goods. But at the valuation nm
der the generally specific duties Of last year. the
imports 10 the same date were sd 03l IS 50
that the increase in invoice value has been
S1634394O not quite 50 per cent II j. n low
estimate 20 put the differentiation OF such
goods at 10 per cent. but this would make the
difference about S2O000000 for about two
months. and at the port OF NewYork alone.
That would mean about S30,000,00O for the
whole country In the same time, and at the rate
OF about $l?5,000,o0 in year on single class
OF products Al the rate Of wages In 1870 or
1892. the difference IN imports must take the
bread from about 10000 American workers, TO
saw nothing Of the producers Of materials and
supplies.
II IS something to think about seriously.
How can It be good for this country 10 turn
This large army OF industrious workers ont OF
emplovInent. In order that SlIoOOOOoO more
NAV be paid 10 foreigners for their products?
The country loses the labor Of those who are
forced 10 be idle. and II has To send bonds or
gold abroad TO pay for the goods. 1t loses the
demand for farm products and for products Of
all other industries, which the 10000 workers
would maintain if permitted to work in excess
Of the narrow demand resulting from their
scanty consumption when living on the charity
Of others Something ike half a million homes
are affected. who can tell how terribly. not only
I'm their happiness and their comfort. but in
their health, their morals and their ability 10
bring up loyal American citizens who love their
country. The man is 10 he piticd. even II he
must also be cursed MS he Is IN millions Of
American homes who is Responsible for this
dreadful degradation Of our workers and their
families
Even this IS not the worst. for the 1l2,0O0
who are idle must perforcc seek employment
with all the desperation OF necessity. and in
doing so must inevitably affect the wages Of
those who are We; employed In the textile in
duSlrics there should he al least G0000O per-
CONS employed, receiving about e3oo,oO0.0O0,
but If one in every five is desperately striving
10 find work, and preferring even the lowest
wages 20 none the effect upon all who are ON
ployed is inevitable First In one shop and
then in another, the manufacturers who can
not afford 10 run ut all If they must undersell
British goods and yet pay what has been