The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1906-05-30
How the Trusts Plum.
der the Home Bull
der.

to sbate the tariff tax on building
material for San Francisco while
that city is bsing rebuilt. But the
Republican stsndpattsrs are sec.
reilly opposing 1t, as it will call at,
tention to the iniq nities of the pres
emf tariff law, waioh fosters trusts
and combines and protects them in
obtaining and continuing present
high prices. The Democrats in Con
Rress will unite in voting for rebat-
ing the duties paid on all building
material used in the stricken city
and would Welcome decrease Of
the tariff rates paid BY the whpls
country.
The tariff tax on steel. glass. nails
and lumber is all protective of the
combines that aim to control the
price and avoid competition. The
tariff on structural steel, nails, etc.,
is from 36 per cent to 81 per cent.
On common window glass from 81
to lis per cent according to size,
and on plate glass from 49 to 140
per cent On lumber planed on
one side % per cent and up to 80
per cent for q 6,oring. On paints
from 48 to 70 per cent and on lin
seed oil 50 per cent.
There are other materials thai
used in the building whioh pay an
average percentage as follows:
Brick and Tile 80; Marble 55;
Cement 25; Wall paper 25; Iron
and Steel pipe 30; Stone so; Lead
80; Tin plates "a; Lime 81; Varnish
81.
To refund these tariff taxes will
be an enormous saving to the home
builders of San Francisco and will
open the eyes of home builders
everywhere to the tax upon build.
ing htmes.
The trusts and combines have
suck firm control of the market
for most of the materials that enter
into buildings that they have in
CREASED prices since the tariff bill
was enacted fully 40 per cent on
the average, and there is but little
opportunity for competition to
keep them within reasonable
bounds. The materials that enter
into a building are, in relation to
it. raw materials, just as much as
pig iron is to the finished stove.
The quest ton to be considered by
voters in eleoting the next Congress
is whether they will vote to reduce
the tariff rates enough to induce
foreign competition, unless the
trusts and combines lower their
prices to the level to prevent the
foreign goods from coming in and
underselling them. If the tariff
on building materials and other
necessities were necessary to pro
tect American workmen, employ ed
at coed living wages. the tariff tax
payers-and that Is every body
would perhaps bear it patiently
until the plundering system oould
be revised for the benegt of all
alike. But the tariff increased
price paid by the American people
should only be enough more than
the European prices to cover the
difference between wages there and
here. The transportation charges
alone on such heavy materials are
enough protection in themselves.
The high cost of building ma
terial has 30 increased the cost of
homes that rents have advanced
about 25 per cent. The farmer
who builds new house, or barn,
is compelled to pay about 40 per
cent more for the materials, 30 the
increased money invested is a clear
loss to him and the interest on the
same is virtually yearly rent
charge for living in his own house.
There is no reason why this tar.
iff taxson building materials should
be continued for the government
collection from this source is less
than 2 per cent of the federal rev.
enue. The standpat argument
that protection is needed to pro-
tect American labor is, according
to their own theories. not applica-
to building materials which are raw
material to be manufactured by
the workmen into buildings. The
only reason. therefore, for this
tariff protection is to enable the
trusts to extort enormous profits
from every family, either in the
form of increased rent or as a tax