Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-02-01
FOR A FAIR TARIFF.
The Kind of Protection Business Men
Want.
'hicago Tribune Rep. J

Chicago Tribune Rep
The National Association Of Manu-
facturers. organized for the improve
ment OF manufacturing conditions al
home and oftrade relations with other
countries, was addressed Tuesday 10
Chicago in the interest Of protection
and reciprocity The President.
Thomas Dolan. called attention to the
inequitabIe and insufficient character
of our present tariff law. especially as
Il gives to certain industries favoTs
not extended to others, and ''mauy of
its schedules do not accofd to pro-
ducers the protection which they re-
quire He said that cotton, and iron,
and steel are pretty well protected.
with the result that they are more
prosperous today than any other man.
ufactures which are exposed to severe
foreign rivalry Butin wool and wool
ems the ad valorem duties alone are
nsed, and these are often too low to
compensate for the difference in con-
ditions under which manufacturers OPP
crate here and in Europe
President Dolan made the point
that our own market is the best in the
world, better, probably. than any two
other markets in existence. He held
it is open to question ifthe productive
capacity of our manufacturing machin-
cry is at all in excess of the consum-
ing capacity of the American people.
1--WE may even doubt if the require
ments of the home market could be
met by the operation of such ma
chinery through all the working days
of the year were alien manufacturers
wholly excluded from this country. ;"
1t surely is not warrantable to in
sist that we produce more cottons and
woolens than our people can wear,
when we know that the imports Of
those goods into this country in 1894
aggregated nearly $40, 900. 900, and in
the 6rst ten months of 1895 nearly
$50. 200, 900. Nor can our domestic
production, on the whole, be declared
to be excessive when. in the last hs-
cal year, we imported Of foreign fab
RIGS, nearly all of which we could have
made at home, S366. 900. 900 worth.
Mr.. Dolan reminded his hearers
that the markets of the world, in which
we as manufacturing nation could
compete, already are occupied by ca
ger rivals, most Of whom can produce
goods more cheaply than we can.
Therefore we have little to gain by en-
gaging in the competition unless we
first procure some advantage in the
fierce contest, and if we are TO enter
the struggle with any hope Of success,
"let US do it with the prestige sup
piled by reciprocity treaties. He
suggested to the association that it
shall endeavor to have restored at an
early day that reciprocity system
which promised so much III the brief
period Of trial it was permitted to
have before it was overthrown.
This is in the line Of sound advice
aud correct reasoning. 1t is possible
to restore rates of protection which are
so high as to be unhealthy, and this
some of the members of the associa-
ton seem disposed TO demand. But
there can be no question that the re-
ciprocity policy. established largely
through the efforts of the late James
g. Blaine, did add materially to our
foreign trade during the short time it
prevailed. and promised to do far
more if allowed to continue. or that
the consequences of abolishing it have
been disastrous.