Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-05-08
A WICKED DISCRIMINATION.

The New York Times prints IhteiN'""'
with leading crockery dealers, whico 20
TO prove that the cfockery ana emma
schedule in the Senate tariff bill Is one
OF the most UBIQUITOUS CT all tue scheauloS
OF that measure. II being de-
,ihcrate fragrant. and cruel imposition
,nor tho masses. II Is so arranged as
10 place very heavy duties upon '"7
cheaper articles and there OF more gene
raj use and necessity, end mren hgh.e'
tsx on the finer and costlier goods.
vh,c, are really luxurious--;hst none
bn, the well 10 do can afford TO purchase
An ANALYSIS of the schedule shows tha'
{, MANY instances fine china pays only
half as much in proportion 10 Cost
abroad as do the commoner wares-'he
wares that are in daily use among tne
masses.
ono Of the dealers interviewed by the
Times said:
We had succeeded in convincing the
vyevs and Means Committee ana, as we
thought. the Finance COMMITTEE thdt
s,ecific duties on china and eartheh-
ware were simply ruse 10 co"eV. a.,
exorbitant tax without expressing " -,
percentages. We are Informed py soVu
authority that the schedule OF 'ne "uo
Committee Of the Finance Commute VI,
Tuesday morning called for % to oo per
CON, ad valorem duties. and in the after
noon the specific duties were substituted
The iniauity OF the schedule becomes
mora and more apparent, and the charge
as TO the specific duties being ruse Is
fully sustained when close examination
of the operations of these duties Is maue'
The specific duties, which are levied on
weight. have TO be paid on the boxes anu
packing material of the wares, SO tha'
on package of cheap ware paying the
same rate as one OF rich ware. the ADDED
percentage for tax on packing IN uie
one case is often double or treble that
in the other. The Times, commenting
edltorially on the schedule and its ope-
ration. says that as the poor man
"stoneware" falls in the foreign market
the tariff. by its specific duty. takes
larger and larger share of the price.
He pays 100 per cent. this year, ana inc
same tax. before the tariff can be
changed. becomes $50 per cent, 100 per
cent, and easily may be even more
Meanwhile, adds our contemporary the
corresponding change in the duty on
costly articles amounts to very little.
Another of the crockery dealers with
whom the Illness representative talked
said:
at uhe schedule) is one Of those
sneaking, pickpocket ways OF IopDing
the public without letting the puDhc
know what is going on. Under the guise
of protection il is designed 10 take from
the consumer covertly more than they
would dare to take openly. 1t Is a
scheme to tax the poor mans goods
higher than those of the rich man, by the
imposition Of a specific duty-a duty
by weight. The poor mans goods are
heavier and this specific duty on such
goods amounts. in some lines, to 100 per
cent. ad valorem and in others 10 % per
cent. while the highest duties on the
finer and lighter lines-the rich mans
goods-amount to Co per cent.
However, the most significant expose
in connection with the action OF the
Senate Finance Committee is found in
the inspiration of that action. The hrst
of the New York dealers from whom we
have quoted, also stated that the trade
realized from the beginning that the
pressure exerted from East Liverpool
O,-near Canton-meant trouble for both
the trade and the consumers, while the
other dealer quoted declared that the
real purpose of the schedule was to pro-
hiblt the importation of cheap china and
earthenware and TO deliver the consumer
into the hands of the influential potters
of Ohio and New Jersey. This conien-
ton the Times emphasizes in the fol-
lowing language: "What is the origin
of this wicked discrimination? We re-
greet to say that the centre from which
the greatest influence is exerted in its
support is East Liverpool, O., close to
the town of Canton
The conclusion from these observations
Is obvious. 1t is that behind the imme-
date inspirations of the iniquity the ad-
ministration is firmly planted.