Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-25
CHAMBERLAIN TARIFF
Report Of Commission Ex-
pected Soon.
WILL BE PARTISAN
FREE TRADE ELEMENT HAS
IGNORED THE WORK.
Iron and Steel and Cloth Manufactures
VIII Be Benefciaries of Inn
port Duties.

L
LONDON, May Is, 1904.
The report of the Chamberlain tariff COM
mission the iron and steel trades of
England will be given out In about two
weeks, and a schedule of import duties
suggested as necessary for protection
against German and American competition.
The investigation has been thorough in the
high and authoritative character of wit
nesses examined. though the objection can
| be raised that 1t has been partisan be-
cause the free trade element has largely
| ignored the work of the commission, the
| protectionists being the only voluntary
| witnesses. This fact will rob the final re-
| port of much of its scientific value, though
| the prominence of the men who are advo-
eating a system of import duties will make
the report worthy Of most careful atten-
ton on the part of foreign competitors.
J. Stephen Jeans, the secretary of the Brit
ish Iron Trade Association, will shortly be
witness before the commission. Anticipat-
Ing his testimony, he has made public his
reply to the schedule of questions asked
by the commission of every employer in
these trades in the united kingdom. The
percentage of duty to be recommended is
a matter which is handled most gingerly
by all concerned. and the idea seems to pre-
vail that no intimation of the final conclu-
slonS should be given out until the official
proclamation, much after the fashion of
the English budget speeches. Even Mr..
Jeans, after citing conditions in the iron
and steel trades of England, which fore
shadow his advocacy of protection, says
that he does not think the investigation
has yet reached stage at which the rate,
of duty can be properly considered" He
intimates that the association of which he
Is secretary would be glad to comment on
any suggestions made by the commission
along these lines.
Belief of Iron and Steel Men.
He states 1t as the belief of the iron
and steel men of England that the United
States will not in the future be able to
produce iron and steel so cheaply as in
the past partly from the exhaustion Of the
cheapest supply and partly because the
steel corporation will be forced to meet
financial obligations that will render bot
tom prices difficult. He believes that the
British iron and steel industries have suf-
fered severely from want Of confidence
in their future which has prevented the
necessary capital from being applied to
their up-to-date development On the
whole, he concludes, however, that there
is no reason to apprehend that Great Brit
ain under equitable conditions should not
be able to hold her own in the competition
of nations for the iron trade of the world.
That the iron trade of England has reach
ed it's maximum possibilities of profitab BILE
development Is denied, for the reason that
even If the home supply of material failed
to secure raw material from abroad. At
the present time the general proximity of
ores and fuel offsets an inferiority in the
command of cheap raw materials, though
this is neutralized to a certain extent by
high railroad charges and agreements be-
tween steamship lines Mr.. Jeans also
finds that in comparing the weight of pub
lie burdens affecting industry there is not
much difference between Germany and
Great Britain, and that the tendency in the
United States and, in fact, in all foreign
- a,
greater rapidity than in Great Britain.
The dumping of foreign iron upon British
and colonial markets is regarded by the
British iron and steel men as the most
serious handicap to British exports, es-
pecfally in the case Of Canada. And while
they are not taking any positive stand as
to the amount of import duty necessary
to overcome this particular disadvantage
the whole tendency of their testimony and
argument is decidedly in favor OF the pol
Icy advocated by Mr.. Chamberlain. Mr..
Jeans cautiously concludes that tarin du-
ties can and do coexist with the highest
efficiency in the conditions and economy of
production.
Superiority Of American Works.
1.-The superiority of American iron works
and steel works Is universally admitted. In
Germany no one is likely to doubt that the
tariff does not hinder iron and steel work
from attaining the highest efficiency Tar
ifs do not in this trade at any rate pre-
vent nation from attaining and maintain
ing the highest industrial efficiency" AS to
whether tariffs contribute to this result Mr..
Jeans refuses to commit himself, asserting
that this is more or less controversial
question into which he does not care to
enter. He admits, however, that 1.-The tar
if policy of our competitors, by guarantee
ing within large limits the monopoly of the
home markets. and keeping the home mar
kets from sudden and violent breaks, must
promote continuity in running, and this
result, l take 1t, is part OF the general
efficiency Of organization of the industry"
The English iron and steel interests take
great comfort out of the overcapitalization
of the Steel Corporation In the United
States Their testimony is to the effect
that the security of the British iron trade
in relation to syndicates and consultations,
is founded on two conditions: The first, that
such organizations as the Steel Corporation
must make sufficient profit to pay interest
on large capital. and to do this must keep
prices up to high level; the next, that If
such corporations were to sell abroad
greatly below that level, home consumers
would be likely to agitate against a sys-
tenn which benefited the foreigner at their
expense. This line of arguEaent is applied
to the new German steel trust as well as to
the American organisation.
The British producers do not seem to re-
gard the trust with that same degree of
aversion as exists in the mind Of the Amer
lean public. They say that even the Stand
ard Oil Company only produces about 65 per
cent of the total output OF refined petro-
leum in the United States. The iron and
steel men say that there never was
period when SO many independent concerns
were started in the United States In their
own line of production as since the Steel
Corporation was launched. Their testimony
is to the effect that combinations do not
necessarily drive smaller Independent con-
Germs out of the market, and they draw the
statistics with which to support this con-
tention from the United States and Ger
many, in which countries the trade combi-
nation has reached it's highest develop
ment.
Real Basis of Tariff Legislation.
For many years the iron and steel and
cloth manufacturing industries of the
United States have been the real basis of
all tariff legislation, and the same expert
ence will now be repeated in Great Britain
To the iron nd steel rnar, tho norm x,ic