Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-04-26
TARIFF TAX A BURDEN
Much Over 100 Per Cent on
Many Articles.
TRUSTS AND COMBINES BENEFIT

ASAASs oh All ATtI-
cies Taxed Over 100 Per Cent-A
Partial List of Commodities ON
Which the Tax Exceeds That Rote.
mat the present tariff tax on many
articles exceeds 100 per cent of their
cost, although 1t has been denied by
speaker Cannon and other Republic
ans who should know better, was con-
clusively shown by Hon. John Sharp
Williams, the Democratic leader. in q
speech in the house Of representatives
on March G.. He enumerated the fol-
lowing articles on which the duty is
reate tina 100 per cent: Chalk. such
as t%a1lor's; billiards, lead and French,
LOG per IL duty. There were $34 900
worth Of importations, and the duty
paid was $4,000.
On boracic acid, which is an article
Of ordinary use, two of the greatest
boraX mines in the world being in this
country, the duty is 122 per cent. We
imported $4,000 worth and paid a
duty Of $4,000 on the $4,000 worth
imported.
On fannie acid the duty is 1913 per
cent; Oh nitric spirits Of ether, $50 per
cent duty; on sulphuric ether, 23G per
cent duty; cotton duck, over eight
square yards to the pound, 112 per cent
duty; manufacture of cordage, cables
of fiber Of seven lea yarns, 1OS per cent
duty; another size, 1913 per cent; still
another, $50 per cent; a fourth, 236 per
cent, and a fifth, 800 per cent. AS a
matter of course, we did not import
any cordage Of that kind, because the
duty is so high.
Gill netting, five lea yarns, 1O4 per
cent. Even with the duty there was
Sl,9So worth imported, and the duty
paid upon this was $2,94O.
"I1recrackers'--surely the poor little
children ought not to be taxed when
they become patriotic on the Fourth of
J~uly-"125 per cent"
Cheap spectacles''-that the pool
people wear-"11G per cent"
Common window glass. which is the
kind ordinarily used, q by 80, 107 per
cent duty. We imported 500, 900 worth,
and the duty was $4,000. Size 24 by
80, 10 per cent duty; there were $50
600 worth Of imports and So 5000 was
the duty paid. Size 80 by 40, 129 per
cent duty; above 40 by 80, 255 per cent
duty.
Looking glasses, 81 by 80, 100 per
cent duty.
Plate glass, "a by 60, 142 per cent
duty.
Pocketknife blades, 1O3 per cent
duty.
Stocks for double barreled guns, $50
per cent duty.
But not content with this evidence of
some of the great burdens and inelual-
tiles of the present Republican tariff
law, MI. Williams added q list Of ac-
tual importations with the appraised
value Of the same by the custom house
authorities and the specific and ad va
loren duties collected. 1t would take
too much space here to give all the de-
tails of the description, the cost and
the amount Of the compound duties
paid on each importation, but it can
be found in the Congressional Record
Of March G. 1906, on page 3,507. The
articles include wooden and cotton fan
nels, dress goods, wooden goods, plate
glass, cheese, rice, beer. watch move-
ments and mica. On all these the du-
ties paid far exceeded 100 per cent.
MI. Williams introduced a bill at the
beginning Of the present congress to
amend the tariff law so that no rate Of
duty, adding the specific rate per
pound or yard to the ad valorem rate
on the value Of the goods in the coun-
try from which exported, should ex-
coed 100 per cent. He did not expect
the bill to pass, but to show the people
Of the country that the Republican ma
jority Of congress refuses to even con
slider such palpable %plundering of the
people, which evidently will continue
until the voters see it is to their inter
est to elect a Democratic congress.
If the tariff tax paid was the end Of
the matter. there would be the salts
faction Of knowing that the tax went
to the support Of the government and
could be evaded by refusing to pur-
cndSe imported SOOuS. hul VIZ uol'
and combines that control the produc-
ton of similar articles made in this
country are protected by those high
tariff duties in adding to the price at
which they sell nearly as much extra
profit as the tariff tax would be on the
ported goods, is still obliged to pay
sumner, who cannot afford to buy i'm
ported goods is still obliged to pay
nearly as much tax to the trusts and
combines as he would pay to the gov
eminent. If the tariff was reduced the
trusts would have to reduce their prof
its in proportion or the people would
buy the imported goods.
That is why the Democrats believe in
revising the tariff, so that through COM
petition or the fear of it the trusts
would have to reduce their prices to q
reasonable profit.
The Price of Coal.