The Portland daily press., 1897-03-23

the purchasing power of the masses re-.
storeu, then, and not till then. will prices
cease TO feel the depressing effect of uu-
der consumption, and the prosperity of
our people rise TO the standard of 1882.
The past four years have been ipterest-
ing especially to all investigators of
economic problems. We have been Mt
tending kindergarten on gigantic
scale. The tuition has come high but no
people ever learned so much in so brief
tlme. Hereafter theories preached in
however captivating language will have
20 give way to the teachings of expert :
enca. :
1t has. been the favorite assumption of
some theorists that revenue and protec-
tlon In the same tariff schedule are i'm,
possible. But we have had in the past
seven years in the contrasted working of
the protective wool and woolens sched-
ule OF the tariff Of 1890 and of the similar
non-protective c1edule of tariff of 1894
most striking demonstration otherwise.
Ihe importation Of clothing wool in 1895
under the tariff of 1890 WINS about 49,
UU0, UO0 pounds and Of manufactures of
wool about $50 600, goo, mainly goods
worn by the well to do " no think it the
tnlng to wear foreign made cloth and
who are willing to pay the duties i'm
posed upon 1T. From these inportarions
OF WOOL and woolens in 1898 the govern
ment derived revenue of about S44, 500, :
600.
The importations of clothing wool in
the fiscal year 1896 exceeded 1877, 600, 900
pounds, three times as much as in 1898,
and OF manufactures of wool moro than
Twice as many pounds in 1896 ns in 1898,
ana yet the revenue derived by the gov
eminent from this enormous Increase
in the imports. of wool and woolens in
the fiscal year 1886 was only S23, 600, 600,
, loss OF Ssl, QUO. 600 from that real.z, I'd in
In other words, by placing wool on the
Tree list and reducing the duties ON
manufactures of wool, the treasury lost
ssl, 000, 900 OF revenue our farmers lost
market for $4,000. 900 pounds of wool
which they raised in 1899 in excess of
what they raised in 1S96-97. as we'll as
nearly 10 cents per pound in price, in
Vol loss to them of nearly $50. O0O,
o'u per annum already on 6his one farm
product, and our manufacturers and the
worklngmeD lost market not only for
the only goods which increased foreign
imports had supplanted but also mnr-
ket for goods which the farmers and the
mass OF the people were able to purchase
ID 1898, but which they could not buy in
1896 because of
LOSS OF EMPLOYMENT
and purchasing power. Beyond this it
has been demonstrated that by placing
wool on the free list to the injury of the
farmer and manufacturer we have not
been thereby enabled to increase our ex-
ports Of manufactures of wool as was
claimed would be the case and we have
greatly Increased the use of shnddy by
diminishing the purchasing power of the
masses and thus compelling them to SEEK
the cheapest clothes.
Ii 1T be claimed that this has reduced
tie cost OF clothing to the people, the re-
ply Is obvious. that it has done SO only in
appearance because in point of fact the
masses, deprived of work and wages by
that which has given foreign manufac-
.turers the. makinR OF So large part of our
goods, have found it harder to buy their
clothing than they did before. Prof1ting
by this experience the ways and means
committee in framing the pending bill
have taken wool off the free list where
1t was plaood by the present tariff and
restored it to the dutiable list at the
same rates as 1t bore in the tariff of 1890
and have also restored the samo compen-
satory duties { n the manufactures of
wool as were provided by the not In order
to place the manufacturer of wool on the
same basis MS to his material as his
foreign competitor was given by the
latter Act. and, as is always necessary in
order tc provide a market for our domes-
tic wool, to this has been added In a
partly specific form, duties practically
equivalent to the advalorem duties i'm
posed by both the tariffs of 1890 and 1894
as protection to the wool manufacturer
This. it is believed, will greatly aid the
wool growers. stop the furtf er fdedletion
of our fiocks, and presently regain what
we have lost in the past four years. and
ultimately result in the home production
OF nearly all the clothing wool that we
require. 1t will also greatly encourage
the wool manufacturing industries which
have suffered SO severely under the tariff
of 1894 A the same time we will ulti-
mately increase the revenue from duties
Cd wool and woolens not less than twenty
five millions per annum.
The
DUTY ON SUGAR
has also been increased for the purpose
of revenue and also to encourage the pro-
dction of sugar in the United Stntes and
thereby give to our farmers a new and
much needed crop. We now pay foreign
countries about ss4, 100000 for imported
sugar, Notwithstanding the abnormally
low price, and this sum will soon be
increased to 500, GOO, COO. The success
which has attended the growing of sugar
beets and the production of beet sugar in
SdlllOtulik HIlu N0Urdhkh III GQ6 past uY6
years, not to mention the progress in the
productlon.of cane sugar in Louisiana,
has made the problem Of producing our
own sugar no longer doubtful, fand- now
that we must have the increased revenue
OF sugar, favorable opportunity pre-
sents itself for giving this boon to our
agriculture.
The duty Oh sugar proposed is
sufficient, according to the polarisoope
test of the degree of saccharine matter,
commencing at one cent per pound for
sugar polsrizing not more than 70 degrees
and increasing the duty three one bum
dredths of cent for each additional de-
gree. This would make the duty ON raw
sugar for the same polarisoopio test an
refined sugar 600 degrees) one and three
fourths cents To this is added one
eighth of one cent for such sugar above
number sixteen DRtch standard in color
(refned suoar), making the duty one
cent and eighty-seven and half hun
dredths This eighth, with whatever
may be added by the oountervailing duty
onEall sugar imported from export boun-
ty-paying countries ought to be protsc-