Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-09-29
Prices At Home and Abroad d.

in making ridiculous the anti-tariff
arguments" with which Chairman
Griggs has filled this years Demo-
cratic campaign text book. One of his
favorite arguments" was the asser-
ton that protected American products
than in the United States. When
pressed for proof Mr.. Griggs became
ratified. tried to bluff, and finally it has
been made plain, to his great discom-
future. that the cases in which such
goods are sold cheaper abroad are ex-
tremely rare and then under circum-
stances which afford no argument
against the protective policy when the
whole truth is known.
The Press presents an official state
ment for the last fiscal year which shows
that $4,000, 704 900 worth of goods were
manufactured in this country, of which
$403, 800, 763 were exported and only
about $3.9s3,OO0. or per cent. of the ex-
ports were sold at prices lower than
were asked for at home. Less than one
thirtieth of per cent. of our total pro-
duction was sold at the reduction in
price. That is what it cost to keep
$3.50, 600 wage earners employed at full
time at good wages. When the Wilson
act was in force there was a wholesale
slaughter of American manufactured
goods abroad in order to keep from
reau of statistics has recently issued
a bulletin showing the prices charged
for goods in 1887, the last year of the
Wilson law. as compared with the year
1901. There was a general advance in
prices as well as in wages. But the i'm
crease took place in the non-protected
benefit of the tariff. Wages increased
and the country became prosperous as
the result of better business.
But prosperous times are what the
Democracy objects to, and to change
conditions they ask for free trade. In
the period referred to, coffee has adj
vanced cents a pound tea, s cents;
quinine, II cents an ounce; pepper,
over cents; petroleum, IS cents a bar
rel: cotton, about cents a pound;
silk, over cents pound; tin, 10 cents
a pound. and so on. All of those arti-
cles are on the free list. There has
been a great increase in consumption
because the people are prosperous I'M
der a Republican administration. 1t
mas got so that our manufacturers
cannot supply the home demand in
iron and other things. and imports as
a result have been rapidly increasing.
Our people consumed twice as much
beef last year as they did eight years
before. and so with other things. But
this displeases the Democratic leaders
very much
Pains have been taken by the Press
to inquire about the prices for which
American goods are sold in foreign
countries. Mr.. r. NJ. Wilson, a resi-
dent Of Sydney, Australia. Mclean
Brothers & Rigg, Limited, and others
furnish prices for which American
reapers, binders and other things are
sold, showing that they cost much
more there than i'm the United States.
The Deering binder. with the latest
improvements. sells for 1882 in Aus
tralia and for s125 in this country.
Similar reports We're made as to va
rious other articles. both in Australia
and in Europe. Pig lead Is exported
In bond from the United States by
Mexico and is sold in free trade Eng
American lead is exported. The price
in New York has been about cents
for a year, while the price in England
has been 2is cents.
The Democratic textbook asserts
tffat the wire rope manufacturers sell
for export all over the world for one
half to one-third the price charged
domestic consumers. John A. Robeling
& Sons Co. of Trenton. perhaps the
largest exporters. denounce in the
Press the statement as "a deliberate
falsehood." The company says that
prices for export at present are high
er than those charged the larger Amer
lean consumers" But export wire
ropes are extremely limited in guam
tity" The company denounces state
ments about wire in the Democratic
books as probably made by IAN es-
capped lunatic." This shows the char
acter of the arguments" put forth in
their present campaign against the
tariff. They are false and misleading
but that is the usual kind of Demo.
cratic campaign material.
A drenching rain, the other day. pre-
vented deeds of violence which the
striking anthracite miners had planned