Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-02-22
THE UNFAIR TARIFF TAX.
Enormous Profits Paid by the Peo-
pie to the Protected Man
ufacturers.

The imports of diamonds, pearls and
other precious stone have increased
during the past year to the remarkable
total of s37,0 900. This is nearly SILL
900 900 more than in 1904, which was
the banner year before this extraor-
binary 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 vaule of these importa-
ions of precious stones were diamonds
and pearls, uncut and unset, this vast
value has been greatly increased, prob
ably by 200 per cent. when cut and set
as sold by the retail jewelers..
AS the tariff duty on the greater part
of these unset jewels is but ten per cent,
the millionaires, who mostly buy them,
pay but that small tax to support the
government. With articles of necessity
the tariff tax is much higher. For ex-
ample: When the same value of me-
dunn quality carpets are imported the
tariff tax is A cents a square yard and
in addition thereto 40 per cent. ad
valorem, or a total tax of It's per cent.
or over according to the value.
This inequality in the tariff law,
which requires the person of moderate
means to pay It's per cent. and over on
necessities and the millionaire only ten
per cent. on luxuries, pervades the
whole law more or less and yet most
of the people that pay the tax have voted
for Republican congressman who in
turn vote to perpetuate such unequal
taxation.
Nor does the inequality of the tax
stop there for the protected manufac-
turers who produce the products taxed
by the tariff, add to the price they sell
their products for, just about as much
as the tariff tax would be on similar
products when imported. For instance,
if a Brussels carpet is imported, it costs
wholesale in the country where it is
manufactured, If of medium quality,
an average of 80 cents a yard-see i'm
ports of carpets page POP United States
| Statistical Abstract 1904. The tariff tax
on this yard Of carpet Is A cents and
40 per cent. of its value which would
be 1890 cents or a total tax of $3.50
cents, to which must be added the profits
of those who import it and the freight
and insurance probably 1920 cents
more. Thus the price to the retail car
pet merchant would be at least $1.02
a yard, to which the retailer would add
his profit of 20 per cent. or over and
sell it probably for $1.25 a yard.
Now a similar yard of carpet manu-
featured in Philadelphia would cost the
manufacturer about the same price as
the foreign carpet cost to produce
which it must be remembered was 3:
cents, with the manufacturers profit
included, but as the materials cost Sc
to 100 per cent. more in this country
than in Europe, because of the protec'
tive tariff, and this increases the cos
of the manufactured carpet here rs pei
cent, the price at which it can be solo
here by the manufacturer would be AZ
cents a yard. But as the foreign car
pet cannot come in and compete, with
out paying the tariff tax, freight, in
surance and profits of the importer, HI
is protected by the tariff in charging
and does charge for Brussels" carpe
from 60 to 80 cents a yard accordin,
to circumstances.
- .||
So the American consumer pays from
80 to 100 per cent. tariff tax to the car
pet trust or combine that is protected
by the tariff in plundering him, owe
and above the ordinary profit Of which
the government gets nothing.
But this is not the worst of thi!
~plundering of the long suffering buy
er of a carpet in the United States, TO
on page 255 of the Statistical Alb
stract for the year 1905, is given thu
price that the carpet trust or manu-
facturer charged for similar carpe
when sold for export to foreign our
tries. which averaged 40 cents a yart
while the people here are charged near
ly double. Is that a square deal?
This is why the Democrats especial
ly demand that the tariff should be re
vised, so that the trusts cannot sci
at a much lower price to foreigner