The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1895-02-23
TARIFF INEQUALITIES.
The American yictimIzed by tho Pr
tective Syse0n0.

tective Syseon..
Complaint is made OF the low price
Of wheat, as OF all brcadstuf1s. The
American farmer is the victim Of this
cause it is asserted that he is not suf-
ficiently protected by existing tariff
laws.
The American wheat producer COM
petes with the wheat grower of South
America, of India. and of Russia. He
completes. too. with the producers of
breadstuffs wherever raised. The pro-
lection laws as they exist under the
Wilson enactment and as they have
existed during the whole era Of pro-
lection spoke the word of promise to
the ear of the American agriculturist
and broke it to the hope.
What is the specification? Labor
the United States. That ma chinery is
sold in India, Russia and South Amer
lea. 1t is put down at the barnvards
of foreign wheat growers. notsvitll-
standing their distance from the place
of manufacture, at a price much lower
than the American IA rmer is compelled
to pay to the manufacturer, though he
is Immediately in the neighborhood Of
the actory.4
Protection has enabled the maize for
agricultural instruments to levy a toll
upon the American farmer far greater
than he demands from the South
American, the Indian, or the Russian
agriculturist, whose product comes in
the markets of the world in direct
compe tition with the farm product Of
America.
And that disadvantage to the Amer
lean farmer is to be still further en-
phasized. Upon the plea of benefit to
American manufacturers and laborers
the dra :vbaclS system has been author
lied. He who imports a manufactured
material into this country and. chang
ing it's form or use, exports it, is en-
titled to drawback of the entire
of duty paid, less one per
cent. The agric ultural implement
makers of the United States have dis
covered that by purchasing steel in
England they can employ it in their
implements at their manu- actories in
America and send these implements to
OF the United States and get the ben
eft of the drawback. thus helping
them still further to te the
customer abroad while compelling the
customer in America to pay an en-
HANGED price.
This is one of the glaring disadvan-
tages of tho protection system to che
producer in this country.
The system, even If we might grant
that as n whole it is beneficial. has
other in justices. Merchants import
large quantities of nanuf featured
goods. They are assessed at a certain
rate, and, the tax being paid. the
goods arc passed on to the consumer
with that customs tax upon them.
But the importer protests that a diff
fercnt classification ought to obtain,
the goods would be ttutia BILE
Mt a lower rate. After years Of delay
there is treasury or judicial decision'of
tho matter in favor Of the importer
During all this period the importer
has protested upon every consignmentI
Of like nature, and it results that he
has returned to him an excess Of pay
nent amounting in many instances. if
he is a heavy importer. to tens of thou. |
sands Of dollars year. The consumer
has paid the merchant. Does the ,:1er-
chant make rebate to the consumer? |
The thing would be impra ctica BILE.
he pockets that differ
encc. nightly to his advantage.
If the system Of protection is to OBJ
tain in this country it must be shorn
IF many a palpable evil Chicago
Times.