New-York tribune., 1897-06-22
LESSONS or EXPERIENCE.


"Who pays the duty? Is an old question
which all Republicans and former Repubhcahs
should he able to answer in the hgh' OF eNPer'-
ence. When a heavy duty on rails wars IN
posed. more than thirty years ago, men wrote
ponderOus essays 10 prove that the FARMERS anu
the consumers were thereby taxed outrageo'siy
because rails were made more costly. Ihen
the country imported about third or the qnah-
tity required and paid over $50 per ton Tor iron
and S15S for steel rails But in ten years the
production had so far increased that imports
practically stopped, and the country PAID an
average, in 1877, Of S35 % for iron and Sio %
for steel rails. In ten years more the home de-
mand had increased more than threefod, ana
vet the production also rose more than threefod,
and while iron rails went out Of use steel rails
averaged S37 12 per ton. Now the country Is
able to EXPORT rails to India and Japan, and the
cost TO Americans Is $40 per ton. Who has paid
the duty?
This is ancient history. But tinplates cost IN
Wales. per box of 10S pounds, for seven years
before the duty was imposed by this country,
an average of II shllngs pence, or about
S342. Tho average import price had ranged
from 8 10 SO cents per pound for seven years
In a short time American manufacture pcgah
to force Welsh producers to reduce the price
in order to keep even part OF ther Americ"'
trade, and in the fiscal year 1884 1t was re-
duced TO 90 cents. in 1S93 to "a, ana IN ~"
to %, and in February last it was as low as
o. cents These arc foreign prices at the point
of shipment, without duty or freight, ana snow
that more than ! cent per pound has bccn
taken from the charge for plates by the foreign
makers in order TO keep their trade. Inc sell
inc price at New-York for best BcSscmcr coke
los pounds. averaged 81 40 in October. lS'U,
when the duty went into effect. and gradually
declined to about 81 in tho summer of lS'i. ana
has since dropped under the pressure OF Amerl-
can competition TO SO 70 last summer. Ever
since early last year the American plates nave
been selling below the foreign mt first only ~
cents per box but now they are selling at - ~
against SO 81 for foreign. London dlspatch
on June states the foreign price ut y shllllngs6
pence or 50 2S per box-mOre than 81 10 below
the price formerly rullng-and adds that many
of the tinplate mills "have been shut down, and
only forty are now working
The plain truth is that foreign makers re.
duced the price step by step, just as far as they
could, In their effort to hold the American mar
ket and n great proportion OF the mills nave
stopped because they cannot sell here, even
with extreme reduction Of wages, in competition
with the American works. which by rlvalry
among themselves have already reduced the
cost more than 80 cents per box since they
gained control OF the home market. Ihcre may
be Democratic Senators who will not see, even
in the presence of these facts, that the foreign
ers have been paying most or the dutlcs lor
years in the vain attempt to keep their trade
But Republican Senator's may also remember
these facts when they are asked to vote for
duties which will transfer other industries to
this country.
In the discussions which remain on the Tariff
bill 1t is to be hoped that men who have ever
been enlightened by Republican truth will not
ignore the facts of past experience 1t Is not
to be hastily assumed, of course. that any ana
every duty on imports which may be proposed
will establish n new industry in this country, or
will subject foreign producers to such competi-
ton that they will he forced to reduce their
prices. and thus 10 pay part or the whole OF
the duty. The fact that this has been the re-
suit not merely as to steel rails and tinplates,
but in hundreds of other instances makes it
the duty of enlightened Senators to look at the
actual condition I'm each case fairly and dispas-
sionately and to judge whether there Is reason
able probability of securing by duties proposed
such indlsputabe benefits. They cannot afford
TO forget that the revenue must he raised in
some way. If they hesitate to raise It by duties
on burlaps or bags, wool, woollens or gloves,
they are compelled to find some other way to
raise It. and are bound to consider without preju-
dice whether that other mode presents as fair
an opportunity of enlarging home industries and
relieving Americans Of part Of the burdens, as
the one they reject. If they so believe, regard
less of seeming local interest or personal favor,
they are doing their duty according to the light
they have If they do not so believe, they must
answer to themselves and the people II they
reject provisions which promise both necessary
| revenue and ultimate benefit TO the Nation.