Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-05-08
PRICES HERE AND ABROAD.
Why Some American Products re Sold
Cheaper Abroal than at Home.

| sometimes much care and time. For
the past three months our Free Traders
| have rung the changes on the accusa-
| ton that our manufacturers were sell
ing their produces abroad at much
lower price than in the home market.
| This accusation has been made, as most
| Free-Trade statements are, in general
without any attempt at specific names
or amounts. The few instances of
guesswork have been so ridiculous as
| TO deserve no notice.
This question of export discounts was
thoroughly investigated ten years ago.
and we were no more afraid of it now
| than we We're at that time when 1t
| proved TO be the biggest kind OF buga-
boo. Until thorough investigation
| is made by a competent committee,
with power to summon and question re-
] liable witnesses. no one can wholly af-
| firm or deny statements in general or
| in particular, In the meantime there
are phases of the subject that will bear
| discussion.
For the sake Of argument let rs sup
| pose that our manufacturers do dispose
| abroad of their surplus stock or any OF
| their stock at cut rates. Is this not q
universal rule of trade? Does not
every merchant have his clearance
saleY" Are not unreasonable and shop
worn goods marked down below cast?"
| Are not stale and damaged products
sold away under regular prices, fire.
| quently below cost of production? Is
it anything rare for our great stores
| to put a certain article or articles on
| sale al or below actual cost to attract
| customers, who will buy paying articles
| In such quantities as to make up for
the small loss? To introduce u new
! product does not the maker put 1t at a
very low price, or, In fact. give away
samples at first, till the people have
proved its merits? ste
There is one firm In the State of New
" which gave away last year over
100000 sample bottles of medicine.
Besides the cost of the medicine was
the cost of bottles and postage and the
work of bottling. hacking, shipping, ad-
dressing. etc, and yet that firm charged
so cents and 81 bottle for the same
medicine.
These are all fair and legitimate ex
pedients of trade. If an American
n anufacturer, in order to introduce a
machine, or tool, or rail, or anything
else into a new market, as an induce
ment makes special price or discount
ar q fy.{o fTat fha uystin of
cost or perhaps below cost, and being
willing to pocket his loss for the sake
of future trade and profits, is 1t any
body's business, and 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 prosper
ity, is not the loser by an operation
which provides increased employment
in American mills and factories.
Has any one but blind Free-Trader
any idea that our manufacturers are
going to habitually sell their products
at loss unless for some good trade
reason? These reasons are four, and
no more: To get rid surplus stock;
to get rid of undesirable stock (stale,
unreasonable, damaged or out of date1;
to introduce new goods; to introduce
goods into a new market. So much for
the export price,
But Free-Traders assert that protec-
ton enables the manufacturer TO eXtort
exorbitant prices at home far in excess
of what is a reasonable profit. We do
not nee dany investigating committee
to settle this question for us. Every
man is capable of settling 1t for him
self. And there is not an honest man
In any part of the United States to-day
but must acknowledge that he can buy
any and every necessary thing cheaper,
considering quantity and quality, than
ever before in his life. 1t does not
matter if steel rails are little higher:
it costs less to ride and less to send
freight on the railroad than ever before.
1t does not matter IL structural iron or
wire nails are somewhat higher: 1t
costs no more to buy or rent house.
1t 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 Compare prices
with those of five years ago under Free
Trade, with ten years ago, with twenty
years ago, with any past year, and 1t
will be found that the same qualities
of goods for wear or use were never so
cheap as now. Why?
Our grand home market, built up by
protection, makes such an enormous de-
mand that commodities are turned out
by the thousands instead of the hun
dreds. No one viii question that a
thousand pairs Of shoes can be made
per pair cheaper than dozen or hun
bred pairs. That is why everything is
cheaper to-day, and that is why more
people are employed in spite of the IN
creased use of labor-saving machinery.
So this revived bugaboo of the Free
Traders, with grain of truth and a
mountain of falselpod, will fall by Its
own weight. The more light turned on
1t, the more ridiculous it win appear.
Protectionists will never hesitate to dis
cuss prices any more than they do
wages.-American Economist
Beet Sugar Production.
The statistics of the beet sugar in
dustry, as summed up In a census bull
letin, show that, after many years of
manufacture on a small scale n has