The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-25
Great Britain's Waning Trade.

Great Britain's Waning Trade.
The London Saturday Review sadly
admits that England is being outstrip-
ped in her race for trade, and calmly
gives the need Of successful rivalry to
Germany and the United States. The
world-customer," says the Review,
with the polyglot German at one ell
bow with his cheapness, and the
American at the other elbow with his
smartness, is now beginning to leave
the Englishman to his, but to no ones
else, establishment 1t is hard
truth to accept, vet truth it is, that
the commercial and industrial prestige
of England is suffering eclipse"
This condition of things has been
noticeahly advancing through the pre-
paratory stages ever since the Wilson
tariff bill broke through the barriers of
protection il the matter of duties on
certain kinds Of raw material. In its
issue Of Jan u The Globe called
attention To the marked increase in
the value OF our exports between 1894
and 1897. while the Wilson bill was in
force. and cOntrasted these figures
with those in 1898. after the Dingley
bill was in operation, and in both in
stances fair allowance was made for
that increase due to our exports of
breadscuffs at high prices.
On the same date the New York
Times used precisely the same argu-
by Mr.. lie Grand B. Cannon, vice pres
IL. no.,
if league Mr.. Cannon said:
Under the Dingley tariff. in strong con-
trast with the period of depression, dimin-
shed production, and insufficient employ
ment of labor under the Wilson tariff, the
increase of exports has made US a creditor
nation, and the decrease in imports simply
indicates that our wants have been supplied
by domestic Industries
To this the Times makes the follow
ing answer:
Let us see what the plain figures are.
Under the Wilson tariff the total exports
increased from $685., 100000 in 1894 to 81, 1OO,-
100000 in 1897, SO per cent. Under the
Dingley tariff, the total exports advanced
from 81 100 coo, 600 to ST. $50, COO 0O0 or 13 per
cent.
So far as this increase, in either case was
due to the export Of food products cotton,
TO do with it, but if Mr.. Cannon claims that
the increase under the Dinglev tariff was
due 10 that tariff, then he must admit that
the advance under" the Wilson tariff was
due to that measure. BY his own test the
Wilson tariff did far more to make us a
creditor nation" than the Dingley tariff. 1t
is supremacy foolish to claim such influence
Tor his pet tariff in any case; it is still more
so to make the claim without taking the
pans 10 find cut that the figures are against
it.
In presenting this same view. The
G o b suggested that it was lust as
Well to be fair and honest in dealing
with the question. The merits of the
Wilson bill have been repeatedly af-
hrmed by manufacturers identified DO
hucally with the Republican party:
and it was upon their advice that the
Dingley law was less radical than that
winch bore the name of Mr.. Mckinley
After drawing some further deduc-
tons from the figures of exports be-
tween 1895 and 1897 and the remarka-
Bile increase shown by the government
statistics, the Times concludes:
Now, we are not so rash as to assume that
this difference was all due to the difference
IN the tariffs. That is a kind of crazy as
sumption that we are quite willing to leave
to the protectionists. But it is perfectly safe
to say that the rational duties on raw ma
terials which were imposed by the Wilson
tariff did have a very decided influence in
aiding American manufacturers to export
their goods in competition with foreign
manufacturers. In the concise and forci-
Bile phrase of Mr.. Wilson, used in
London the year after the change was
made. American trade broke OUT through
the breach made in the tariff wall
The figures contained in the statistics
confessedly afford the most reliable ar
Suments. The diminishing value of
our imports in these days of plenitude
OF money and when 1t may be supposed
they who are fond Of the foreign prod
uct would naturally indulge their taste
must be accepted as evidence that we
are becoming more and more satisfied
with the quality of our own manufac-
tured products, and that we are not
only manufacturing sufficient for our
own needs, but that we have, to use
Mr.. Wilson's phrase, "broke out" and
secured the worlds markets. for the
supply of which every industrial plant
is operated to the fullest extent of it's
energy. And of our success as COM
petitors with Great Britain, the admis-
sion by the Saturday Review is supple
nientary evidence of a most gratifying
quality.