Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-08-30
DEAR GEESE GET WISE
Discover That Protected Manu-
facturers Pluck Them.
BREAKDOWN IN SILK INDUSTRY

n LIN Sill INDUSTRY
ihe Effort to Cheap Goods
u Adulteration The Ameri-
can Woman Interested In Tariff
reduction Her Luxuries Limited
by Increased Cost Of Necessities.
The silk industry is not prospecting IN
spite of tariff duties on manufactured
silk of so to 221.27 per cent. Raw silk
Is Tree OF duty, SO there is nothing in the
way or free raw materials. 1t appears
Una the protected silk manufacturers
nave killed the goose, the great Ameri.
can woman goose, who has heretofore
laid the golden eggs for the benefit of
the silk and other protected Deople.
The anxiety Of these dear geese of ours
Tor the bargain counter has induced
manufacturers to sacrifice quality and
to adulterate the silk to meet the de-
mand for cheapness. The lovely geese,
however, who easily bite the first time
n often the second time at what is
on the face of it a great bargain, have
at last discovered that forty-nine cent
SILK will not wear like that they used
to pay 80 cents for, and therefore
most of them no longer buy it. So
cheap silk naturally went out of fash
Ion, with the result that the manufac-
turers, the jobbers and many depart
ment stores are overstocked with
shoddy silk goods which the wise geese
refuse to lay down their golden eggs
or their equivalent currency for.
There will still be a lot Of these cheap
SILK dress goods sold, but most of them
are dear at any price, for they do not
wear or even look as good as wool or
cotton fabrics at an equivalent price,
which out dear geese have discovered
to their cost.
Now for the political side of the
breakdown Of a highly protected in
dustry, and this the dear geese who
skirmish for bargains should carefully
note. The enormous tariff rates, which
allow silk manufacturers to virtu-
ally control the home market because
foreign manufacturers could not pay
the tariff duties, which on the average
are nearly as great as the original
cost, has led to overproduction, and
many Of the smaller manufacturers
ave gone UNDER in the keen compe-
tition to sell at any price. The surplus
stock cannot be dumped in foreign
markets, for the geese there appear to
be wiser than those here and refuse to
buy American silk of poor quality
when they can get better goods at less
price, for they have nc such exorbitant
tariff to force up prices and the com
petition of French and English manu-.
facturers regulate prices to a reasona
BILE basis and the cheap japanese and
China silks also compete.
In this country such goods must
pay from so to 200 per cent duty, so of
course but. little is imported except of
such quality and class as the American
manufacturer does not make.
There was, however, $31, ,655 of
silk manufactures imported last year,
and upon that there was $17,O1O,1 100
paid in tariff duties. There was also
$61,O54,S3G Of raw silk imported,
upon which no duty was paid, but
when this raw silk had been manufac-
tured into dress goods the price it was
sold to these dear geese of r. had in
creased to nearly 5000, OOO,O 600, and at
least $30,OOO,00O was extra profit on
account Of the tariff protection to the
silk manufacturers. If we knew how
many and how much each dear goose
had purchased we could figure just
how much the tariff on silk had cost
her. 1t is safe to say, however, that on
every dress piece Of imported silk
more than half that is paid is tariff
duty and OF the cheap home manufac.
tured silk nearly the same increased
price is due to protection.
In the present struggle to market
their overstock this tariff profit is no
doubt being disregarded, but when the
surplus has been forced off at bargain
prices and the silk trade resumes its
normal condition the manufacturers
will resume their large profits and
those who were able to weather the
storm will make up for losses now be-
ing encountered.
This silk tariff is but one Of the ways
that the American woman Is taxed by
the tariff, and this only on IN article Of
luxury, but nearly all necessities are
likewise taxed, and the protected man
ufacturers get increased profits, with
but a small percentage going to Uncle
Sam.
No n knows better than the Amer
lean housewife that the cost Of living
has advanced 4S per cent since 1897,
when the present tariff law went into
effect, and this great increase in the
price Of necessities cramps the amount
that can be expended for luxuries Of
which silk is but u item.
When the tariff is revised so that the
enormous protection to trusts, com
bines and manufacturers is reduced or
eliminated, while still retaining
enough tariff duties to support the
government, then the American wo-
man will have more left to spend for
good quality clothes instead Of wearing
herself out hunting bargains that are
usually shoddy.