The herald., 1897-04-13
THE EAST AND THE TARIFF

THE EAST AND THE TARIFF
A Boston paper discussing the demand
of California citrus fruit producers for
a share of consideration when the tariff
schedules are finally fixed, says:
"a box of oranges weighs. on an average,
about 20 pounds. At three-fourths of cent
per pound, the duty would be about ~
cents Under the present tariff the DUTY
! or the same box of fr;;:; would be about
% cents. Here is an increase OF shghtiy
more than 95 per cent in duties on one OF
the necessaries of life; for lemons, to say
nothing of oranges, are absolutely one OF
the necessities of the sick room, If not TO
keep people in health. No fruit that grows
is of greater value in the nature OF an ap-
neither a regulator. a positive medicine.
than the lemon or the shaddock. 1t must
be remembered that the lemons and grape
fruit are nearly all of foreign growth.
"Under the proposed increase of tariff
the cost of oranges and lemons will be in
creased from cents to even cents the
dozen. according to size and quality.
prominent dealers here say that 1t will
stop the Importation of cheap fruit, and
hence check the consumption of oranges
and lemons by the classes who cannot az
ford to pay high prices for their fruit.
This is done. according to the views OF
the fruit trade in the seaport towns al
most entirely in the interest Of the Califor-
MIA orange growers. ,,
1.-THE California growers have never, till
| the past season, been able to produce one
| fourth of the requirements of the eastern
| trade in oranges. and only very rev
! lemons. This year their fruit has been
| orlra &c htrt
| at prices that keep it out of the hands Of
| the poor or even the frugal and fairly well
| to do. 1t would require many years of the
most rigid protection to bring California
orange growing up to the full wants OF
this country. it, indeed. 1t ever came to that
stage of development. AS for lemons, these
growers have never succeeded in growing
them for the east. Then, there is the item
of freight always against the general con-
| sumption of California oranges in the east,
being more than double the cost of ocean
freights on the foreign article.
"The form of duty proposed in the Ding
| ley bill just introduced, is particularly OBJ
| jectionable to the fruit trade. for the rea-
son that it proposes rate by the pound.
| Must all the imported fruit be weighed?
"A rate of duty by the pound is evidently
in the interest of the California growers.
since their fruit is particularly heavy. and
thus all competing foreign fruit would be
| absolutely shut out of this country"
Now the above from high protective
tariff advocate is highly interesting
Note carefully the points made against
protecting California citrus fruits. First
they are necessaries of life. Second, the
increase in duties will increase the cost
to the consumers. Third, the benefit is
almost entirely in the interest of Califor-
MIA orange growers. Fourth, only re-
Gently has California been able to pro-
duce sufficient oranges to begin to mee'
the demand, and as for lemons, these
growers have never succeeded in grow
ing them for the east. Fifth, the cost ot
freight is against US. Sixth, last an6
saddest of all, "A rate of duty by tn:
pound" is particularly Objectionable
and Furthermore it sis evidently in tbs
interest of the California growers, since
their fruit is particularly heavy"-whicf
means that our fruit is particularly good
being sound and the flesh solid.
The paper which published all this edi
torially is protective to the core, Of
thinks it is. Yet it would be very diff
cult to find a more logical and complete
statement of sound Democratic reasons
for objecting to the Dingley bill, no
only as it applies to citrus fruit, but tt
nearly all imports. Apply the same rea
soning to all the protected products o
the Old Bay state in which the Hub anC
its Aristotelian editors revolve and ever,
one of these products will fall under tn
ban of the clear and cogent reasoning o
the above paragraphs.
Shoes from the factories at Lynn, cot
ton fabrics from the looms at Salem
woolens from all the mills in Massachu
setts and herrings, mackerel and COZ
from her bays, will all have to come ou
in the open and fight for existence in thu
markets of the world uncovered by th'
high protective tariff principle. Ever.
tub made in that state and in all othe
states would have to stand on it's owl
bottom.
These products of eastern mills ar
more necessaries of life; their cost is in
creased by the tariff tax; the importa
ton of cheap goods of foreign make i
checked; the benefit goes to the owner
of the protected industries whereve
they may be; the object of tariff protec
ton, if ever legitimate, is to encourag
infant Industries, not to fatten full
grown ones, and finally the great centra
core of the Republican protective prin
duties