The Globe-republican., 1901-05-02
sfxnfficance- Possibly this is the rea-
son why much is heard nowadays
about fair trade and reciprocity.
EXPORT PRICES.
why some Goods Are Sold Cheaper
Abroad than Home.


Any fool can ask questions, any
idiot can utter a falsehood, and neither
the question nor the falsehood can be
answered without investigation, re-
quiring sometimes much care and
time. For the past three months our
Free Traders have rung the changes
on the accusation that our manufacture
ers were selling their products abroad
at a much lower price than in the
home market. This accusation has
been made, most Free Trade state
InentS are. in general without any at
tempt at specific names or amounts
The few instances of guesswork nave
been so ridiculous as to deserve no no
tice-
This question of export discounts
was thoroughly Investigated ten years
ago, and we are no more afraid of 1t
now than were at that time, when
it proved to be the biggest kind of a
buga boo. Until thorough investlga-
ton is made by a competent autho-
rized committee, with power to sum-
mon and question reliable witnesses,
no one can wholly affirm or deny
statements in general or in particular.
In the meantime there are phases of
the subject that will bear discussion
Fer the sake of argument let us sup
pose that manufacturers do Sls-
pose abroad of their surplus stock or
any of their stock at cut rates. Is this
not a universal rule of trade? Does
not every merchant have his "c1ear-
ance sale?" Are not unreasonable and
shopworn goods marked down below
cost?-' Are not stale and damaged
products sold away under regular
prices frequently below cost of pro-
duction2 Is it anything rare for our
great stores to put certain article
or articles on sale at or below actual
cost to attract customers, who viii Duy
paying articles in such quantities as
to make up for the small 1oss2 To IN
troduce new product does not the
maker put it at a very low price. or,
in fact, give away samples at first, TIL
the people have proved its merits!
There is one firm in the state OF New
York which gave away last year over
1 900 600 sample bottles of medicine
Besides the cost of the medicine was
the cost of the bottles and postage and
the work of bottling, packing, snip
ping addressing, etc, and yet thal
firm charged fifty cents and 81 bottle
for the same medicine
These are all fair and legitimate ex-
pedients of trade If an American
manufacturer, in order to introduce a
machine, tool, or rail, or any IhlnS
else into a new market, as an induce
ment makes a special price or dis
count on trial order, putting the
article al cost or perhaps below cost,
and being willing to pocket his loss
for the sake of future trade and pro-
fits is it anybody's business, ana
must he sell at the same price to his
established trade, which would mean
that he would soon sell to no one at
any price? Certainly American labor,
the basis of all prosperity, is not the
loser by an operation which provides
increased employment in American
mills and factories
Has any but blind Free Trader
any idea that our manufacturers are
going to habitua1Iy sell their products
at loss unless for some good trade
reason? These reasons are four, and
no more: To get rid of surplus stock;
to get rid of undesirable stock (stale,
unreasonable, damaged or out of date);
to introduce new goods: to introduce
goods into new market So much
for the export price
But Free Traders assert that Pro-
lection enables the manufacturer to
extort exorbitant prices at home far
in excess of what is a reasonable
profit. We do not need any investigat-
ing committee to settle this question
for us. Every man is capable of set
Ting it for himself And there is not
an honest man in any part OF the
United States today but must ac-
knowledge that he can buy any and
every necessary thing cheaper, con-
sidering quantity and quality, than
ever before in his life 1t does not
matter if steel rails are a little higher
it costs less to ride and less to send
freight on the railroad than ever be-
fore It does not matter if structural |
iron or wire nails are somewhat high |
er: it costs no more to buy or rent a !
house It does not matter If wool or
leather fuctuate in price; clothing |
and shoes were never so reasonable in /
price. The advertisements in the daily |
papers prove this statement. Com
pare prices with those of five years |
ago under Free Trade, with ten years |
ago, with twenty years ago, with any /
past year and it will be found that |
the same qualities of goods for wear or
use were never cheap as now
Why2
Our grand home market, built up
by Protection, makes such an enor-
nous demand that commodities are
turned out by the thousands instead
Of the hundreds. No one will question
that a thousand pairs of shoes can be
made per pair cheaper than a dozen
or a hundred pairs That is why
everything is cheaper today, and that