The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1906-04-07
TARIFF TASdhEQUALITY
Duty on Carpets and That on
Jewels Compared.
NECESSITIES HIGH, LUXURIEs LOW

NECESSITIES HIGH, LuAUklhs hVm
Enormous Profits which the People
Pay 40 Favored Manufaetarers-The
Tariff Protected Trusts sell Their
Products Cheaper Ia Foreign MAR
kets Than al Home.
The imports OF diamonds, pearls and
other precious stones have Increased
during the past year to the remarka.
BILE total of $37,0O0.000. This Is nearly
s11,000,000 more than in 1904, which
was the banner year before this ex=
traordlnary increase for this year. 1t
shows the extravaganza of the era In
which we live and the enormous
amount that Is annually expended for
jewelry. As nearly all the value OF !
these lmportatlons of precious stones
were diamonds and pearls, uncut and
unset this vast value has been greatly
increased, probably by 200 per cent.
when cut and set as sold by the retail
jewellers.
As the tariff duty on the greater part
of these unset jewels Is but 10per cent
the millionaires, who mostly buy them,
pay but that small tax to support the
government With articles OF neees-
sity the tariff tax Is much higher. For
example, when the same value of me
dunn quality carpets are imported the
tariff tax is Al cents a square yard and,
In addition thereto, 40 per cent nd va
loren, or total tax of 1T5 per cent or
over, according to the value.
This inequality in the tariff law
which requires the person of moderat
means to pay 175 per cent and oit
on necessities and the millionaire q
10 per. cent on luxurles. peryade
whole law more or less, and yee
of the People thGt-pay the L
voted for Republican congreA
who in turn vote to Ierpehiate sue
unequal taxation.
Nor does the inequality of the tax !
stop there, for the protected manufz3
turers who produce the products Ia
by the tariff add to the price they 8
their products for, just about as mu,
as the tariff tax would be on slmil z.
products when imported. For instance,
II q brussels carpet Is imported it
costs wholesale In the country where
1t Is manufactured, II of medium quail
ity, an average of 81 cents yard. (See
Imports of carpets, page POP, United
States Statistical Abstract, 1901 The
tariff tax on this yard of carpet Is A 1
cents and 40 per cent of its valued
which would be 1880 cents, Or tota "a
tax of $3.50 cents, to which must b.,
added the profits of thosaAxlo impols
1t aud the freight and IN 81
366'T tnlGH 70 ,Gel carpet mGf q
be at least $102 yard, = Z;
retailer would add his profl ,s
cent or over and sell it PIT s 4
$125 yard. q q
Now, a similar yard 0f-ca @
featured In Philadelphia s
the manufacturer about the
as the foreign carpet costs
which, it must be remember
cents, with the manufaGs Z Il
included, but as thaas ~ y q y y
to 100 per cent more y
than in Europe because ~
tive tarie', and this lncreaW
of the manufactured carr
per cent, the price at whe
sold here by the manufacl
be 40 pfs n yard. But as
carpet cannot come IN md 1 "a
without Rpylng the tariff tax.
insurance and profits Of the inn
he is protected by the tariff in
ing and does charge for brussel Wcaiel
pet from GO to so cents yard rAeord-
ing to quality, and the retailer Aclls n
for so cents to 81 yard aechrding
to circumstances.
So the American consumer paysl from,
80 to 100 per cent tariff tax to tile car.
pet trust or combine that is protected
by the tariff in pundefing himk over
and above the ordinary profit, of (which
the government gets nothing.
But this is not the worst Of thisg plum
derlng of the long suffering buyelr or a
carpet in the United States, for onl page
255 of the Statistical Abstract fsbr the
year 1904 Is given the RfIce-fhat the
carpet trust or manufacturer charged
for similar carpet wheh sold for ex.
port to foreign countries, which aver
aged 40 cents yard while the people
here are charged neatly double. Is that
a square deal?
This is why the Democrats especially
demand that the turAQ should be re-
vised, so that the trusts cannot sell at
a much lower price to fdTeigners than
to our own people.