Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-05-27

IMPORTERS TAKING ADVANTAGE
or LOW TARIFF LAW.
Foreign Goods Being Rushed I'm Under
the Wilson Law In Vast Quantities-
Treasury Departments Figures-one
Cause OF Gold 0oing Abroad.


Ia DleS Oh ugufeS showing 6Oine very
interesting facts. Among other things
1t shows that the March importations
of wool In 1897 were 5S,OS5, $3.50 pounds,
against 17,7S1,547 pounds in March.
1896, and against 3,4S8, +15 pounds In
the last March under the Mckinley
law. This is the contrast between Re
publican protection and Democratic
free trade. ...s.
The importation Of rags, nails. etc.
In March, 1897, amounted to 5,4G6, 461
pounds, against 1,504 in the last year Of
the Mckinley law. This is the contrast
between Republican and Democratic
legislation, rags, nOils, shoddy, etc., be-
ing on the free list under the present
lariff law. The number Of cattle i'm
ported In March, 1897, under the VIII
son law was 56,S60. In March, 1894,
under the Mckinley law, the number
imported was 81. Contrast Demo
cratic and Republican tariff laws. The
number of pounds of hides imported
In March, 1897, In view Of the prospect
Of a duty being placed ON raw hides
was two and half times as much as
in March OF the last year Of the Nc
Kinley law, amounting to nearly three
million dollars In value. The hay i'm
ported in March, 1895, 1896 and 1897
under the Wilson law was over seventy
thousand tons, averaging about three
times as much as was imported In the
last March of the Mckinley law.
1t shows that the world is being
raked over to find wool which can be
brought into this country free Of duty
before the Wilson law puts tariff on
lmportations Of wool during March,
1897, came from Austria Hungary, Bel
GUM, Denmark, France, Germany, 1t,
ally, Portugal, ROumania, Baltic, Rus
STA, Spain, England, Scotland, Ireland,
Nova Scotia, the Black Sea ports,
Dutch West Indies, Argentine, Brazil,
Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Chi
ma, British East Indies, Asiatic Russia,
Turkey in Asia, British Australia, Brit
ish Africa, Egypt.
Thus we see that the importers Of
foreign woods are ransacking the world
for wool which they expect to get into
the country before the new Dingley law
gets onto the statute books. The i'm
portations of clothing wool in March,
1894, the last March under the McKin-
ley law, amounted to only 924,512
pounds. Those in March, 1896, under
the Wilson law, amounted to II, TO, 405,
and those in March, 1897, 3S,5S5, 455.
The total wool importations in March,
1897, were 5S,0S5, $3.50 pounds, against
1871, 547 pounds in March Of the pre-
ceding year, and against only 3,4SS,41
pounds in the last March under the
Mckinley law.
A further indication Of the activity
Of importers in getting foreign goods
into the country before the new tariff
fact that the goods remaining in bond
ed warehouses ON the first of April
were valued at only sol, 120, 635, against
$40, 490,325 on the corresponding date
last year.
The reciprocity feature of the new
tariff law is likely to be even more sat
isfactory than that of the Mckinley
law. The addition Of. tea and hides to
the dutiable list increases the opportu-
nifty for obtaining favorable reciprocity
treaties, and 1t Is understood that the
Senate will put into the bill such pro-
visions as to make 1t practicable to Sc
cure very advantageous reciprocal ar
rangements with many countries, all Of
which will be especially in the interests
Of the agriculturists of the country.
The duty on raw hides which is pro-
posed by the tariff bill in the Senate
would probably add about cents to
the cost of the foreign hide used in
making the leather which goes into a
pair of shoes, but as only one-fifth of
ported, the average increase in the
price of shoes would only be one-fifth
Of that, or one cent per pair. Assum-
ing that the average, man buys three
pairs of shoes in a year, his increased
''tax burden" would be three cents a
year, while the advantage to the far
mers will be millions Of dollars.
Democrats Delay.
The Democrats and Populists in the
Senate still evince a disposition to de-
lay the tariff bill as much as practical
BILE. They scolded last week because
the comparative statement which was
to accompany the bill was a couple of
days late, and made this fact an excuse
for announcing that they would not be
responsible if the bill was delayed i'm
passing the Senate. They know that
every days delay of the bill enables
the enormous supply of foreign goods
now coming under the Wilson law.
The growth of the protective senti-
ment in the South, which was clearly
shown by the fact that over thirty
Southern votes were cast for the Ding
ley bill in the House, will be again en-
phasized when the voter for the bill
In the Senate are counted. At least
five Southern votes will be in favor Of
the bill I'm the Senate, one of them by
Democrat who announced before his
election that he should vote for a pro-
tective tariff. When it is considered
that every one of those five Southern
Senators who will support the protec-
tive tariff bin succeeded men who voted
Tor the free trade law now upon the
statute books, the growth of the pro-
Etective sentiment In that section will be
recognized.
Looks Like Business.
The calamity shriekers who have
been insisting that the promised pros