The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-07-11
Live and Let Live"

When the excess of our exports over
our imports had swollen TO 5000, OOO,-
OOO-in other words. when in a single
wear we had sold 5000, 00O,O 600 more
than we had bOught-The Post suggest
ed that a long continuance OF such inter
national TIRE ie statistics would be simply
impossible
The Dinaley schedules had for their chief
OH the building up of the home mar
ket. Neither Mr.. Dingley nor any OF his
co workers in either House of Congress
dreamed that the tine was near at hand
when the United States would lead the
world in exports. The present situation
- regards commerce is so utterly unlike
that which NJ. Diugley faced in 1897
that there is not a sha low OF reason Tor
surprising that he, il living now, would
deem the existing sch dulles appropriate
to existing conditions.
II is not possible to go on forever sell
ing much and buy little. Not many
years of such trade as we ore now hav-
ing would be required to impOverish our
customers so that they would lack the
pea1s to pay for our products. Secre-
tary wilson in a statement upon which
the Post recently cOmment"d, says that
all the agricultural products we now pur-
chase rom foreign countries are within a
few years to be grown within our own
States, Territories, or insular possessions.
He especially enumerates sugar, OF which
we gre now importing over 100000
600 worth year; tea, which he says IL
now being grown with entire success in
South Carolina; rice, coffee, spices, rub
Der. and other tropical products. The
New York World referring to that beau
ti'rl dream of independence, ventures to
ask the secretary to explain how we are
going to increase our trade with the
countries that produce those goods when
we have stopped importing the $780,
00O. 900 a year with which they pay for
the goods they buy. The World says
truly that trade does not, cannot, grow
on the one-sided plan"
DO YOU WANT FREE TRADE?
Cutting down duties, unless they are
cut off enti-ely,is the way to increase, not
reduce, receipts BY that processit would
be easy to add enormously to our reve-
MUGS And by the same process wecOuld
kin off some of the Industries OF New
England. Any tariff change that would
reduce c1sJom receipts must either take
the shape OF additions to the free
list or ,ch al increa sc in duties rs would
render ttem practically prOhib'tOry.
The Washingtonton Post, in its advo-
cacy OF antitrust tariff revision, does not
propose to displace American products
by encouraging importation OF articles
which We produce. This Journal advo-
Gates abolition OF duties that are not inn
poseded for revenue and not required for
protection. Here, from the New York
World, is a hint of the reform which we
has e long been urging:
at cost nearly $12 ton to carry
American steel bilets to q British port
| and thence by rail to an inland British
city.
1.-THE United States Steel Corporation
| is now, according to London advices,
delivering them to British buyers in the
| Black Country, back of Birmingham,
paying all freight charges, at $50 per
| ton, SO per ton less than the lowest mar
ket price for British-made billets.
The price charged by the United
States Steel Corporation for its billets to
American buyers at Pittsburg is from
$24 to $25 per ton.
"This proves conclusiyely that the
steel trust is making profit of at least
| so q ton on every ton OF steel billets
sold in this country over and above the
profit which srtisfies it on its sales in
Great Britain-for Of course the trust is
not constantly seeking foreign trade at a
loss And still the steel trust magnates
are not ready to give up that 81 "a per
ton duty on foreign-made steel billets.
Abolish the garrote on the American
consumer and Americans would be able
to buy their steel billets as cheaply as
Englishmen"
No consistent protectionist can posi-
ply defend that duty. Its abolition
would bring in no foreign steel. As it
stands today, tits bounty which Ameri-
can consumers are compelled to pay to a
gigantic combine. The judicious friends
OF protection advocate the removal Of
abuses sheltered in the tariff. But they
| bava M avmnafhv with free traders