New-York tribune., 1897-07-24
THE GENERAL EFFECT OF NEW DUTIES.

The new tariff. which takes effect upon Ns
signature by the President, makes so radicai
change in many departments or Dusihess' anu
has been so recklessly stlgmatized as eN'rehe
and intolerable, that 1t may be or service u
show in n bird's-eye view, so TO speak, WHAT II
means. Everybody knows that the people No'eu
for tariff to protect. Not all men are OIL one
mind az TO what duties are required for pro-
tection Rut II has been the ruling purpose OF the
framers of the new tariff not to deny to any
American industry in need n sufficient defence'
bnt IN anplv protection wherever there was rea-
con IN believe that industrial progress could De
secured.
The tariff Is remarkably low in It's average
ratio of duty ON articles heretofore regarded rs
ohiects Of protective care. 1t Is even lower on
many important iron and steel products than
tho nresent Democratic tariff and lower on near
" all than the Mckinley tariff; lower on nearly
all cotton goods than the Mckinley tarifr, ana
inst the same as the present tariff on nearly
all: lower than the Mckinley tariff on liquors.
on the great majority Of chemicals, and on many
of the agricultural products. 1t is not higher in
rate. but on account Of more general use or spe-
c,6c duties more effective, on earthen and glass
ware products of fax and silk goods, and the
same in rate and form Of duty on nearly all
wool,ens though more effective because OF bet
ter classification on some Of the higher grades
In the paper schedule cassfcations are much
changed. but the general effect is to impose du-
ties not higher than those OF the Mckinley tar
iff. In the sundries schedule duties on straw
goods are higher on bristles and buttons lower,
on coal lower. toys the same, Oh explosives
lower on feathers crude higher and on feathers
dressed the same on harcoth higher. on jewel
ry higher, on leather about the same on gloves
generally the same but on some kinds lower.
The general range of duties, it will be seen at
once will be found much lower on articles duti-
able under the act Of 1890 than that act pre-
scribed. The few advances over its rates are
either on luxuries, because Of the need OF In
creased revenue, or on more advanced products
Of manufacture which may now for the first
time be produced here with such defence But
the average on all duiabe articles will be care
fully and fraudulently used by Free Traders
ms the sole test because sugar was not dutiabe
under the Mckinley tariff but owing to the
wreck of Industries by Free Trade and Cleve-
landism high duties Oh sugar have been MADE
necessary. As these duties average about 20
per cent, much higher than on most OF the
schedules under the Mckinley act the average
and it Will be falsely pretended that this adj
vance extends to manufactured products gen
orally The only honest test is TO compare the
duties on articles dutable in 1890 and under
the new tariff also. which will show material
reduction IN the general rate, but not on certain
schedules above mentioned.
The sugar duty has become in the best sense
protective in its nature by reason Of the success
- baof
industry can be made to thrive, 1t will soon
render this country absolutely independent OF
foreign supplies Of sugar. as Germany Is. and
will also make impossible the control OF the
market by any monopoly in refining The duty
necessary for revenue In this case also has full
justification as a protective measure since the
bounty offered by the act Of 1890 has demon
strated the practicability Of successful beet
culture in many Of the States, and greater
benefit to the agricultural sections could not be
devised The high duties on wo0llen goods are
In like manner made necessary only In order to
afford defence for wool growers. Much lower
specific duties on woOllen goods, with free wool,
would appear to many manufacturers more de-
sirable but for the fact that their supplies OF
domestic wool would then disappear, and they
would become dependent upon foreign markets
for their material. The specific duty on imports
ought speedily to develop the linen and render
independent the earthenware and glassware
manufactures. If the new tariff reaches it's
aim in such respects 1t will be worth to the
people In every subsequent year immeasurably
more than they can by any possibility sacrifice
In the form Of duties on imports for few years
until that result can be attained.
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