Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-08-08
COSTS POOR MOST
Protective Tariff Taxes Necessi-
ties and Always Favors
WelI-to. Do.
INJUSTICE NEVER REMEDlED
Duties Heavier Upon Articles Those of
Moderate Means Are Com
PEELED to Buy.

1t is universally conceded that n tax
ought not to fall more heavily upon
those of small or moderate wealth
than it does upon the well to do and
wealthy 1t is otten considered right
that tax should be graduated so as
to bear proportionately more heavily
upon those having greater wealth. In
imposing an income tax small incomes
are usually exempted. and the rate of
taxation is often made to increase
with the size of the income.
1t Is also generally recognized that q
tax upon an article of general use,
even If the tax be levied at uniform
percentage, imposes an unjust burden
upon those having small or moderate
incomes. for the poor man will spend
much larger share of his income for
the article taxed than will the million
aire. Workingmen undoubtedly spend
much larger fraction of their income
for articles like sugar or salt and
therefore pay. in proportion to their
wealth or incomes. Il much larger share
than is paid by men of large wealth.
Indeed. there is little doubt that many
a wOrkingman with large family
pays. absolutely as well as in proper
ton to Income more of the tax on GER
tain necessaries of life than is paid by
the millionaire because he and his fam
lily consume more.
The tax on articles of ordinary con-
sumption would thus be condemned as
unjust If the poor paid at the same
rate per cent as the rich. But the
tariff taxes are outrageously unfair
for the further reason that almost
without exception they impose a heav-
Ter rate of tax upon articles consumed
by the poor than upon those used by
the wealthy. This could not be so if
all rates were ad valOrem, 4 certain
percentage of the value OF the article
taxed, and the same rates were applied
TO the cheaper articles bought by the
poor and to the cOStlier articles
bought by the rich. But the Dingley
tariff contains multitude of specific
duties. so much per pound or per yard,
and the effect of these duties is to tax
the article of poor ON moderate quail
ty just as much as the finest and most
expensive articles.
For example. the man who buys an
unlined glove OF sheep leather, ''glace"
finish, is taxed by the Dingley tariff at
the rate of So per dozen, and the man
who buys a lined fancy stitched or
embroidered glove of the same ma
terial pays duty at the rate of $40
per dozen. But during the year end
ing June 80, 1907. those who purchased
the former and cheaper grade were
taxed 66.2S per cent of the value Of
the glove. while those who purchased
the latter and more expensive glove
were taxed only 14.19 per cent. The
latter glove was worth S31 per dozen,
the former S4.53.
Great Discrimination in Gloves.
In ladies' or chiIdrens gloves the
discrimination was great. Gloves of
the material already mentioned over
seventeen inches in length, worth only
81 20 per dozen, were taxed S3.15 per
dozen. equal to 74.9S per cent of their
value. while gloves os a finer quality,
'NOItH YiJ.Oo per uO3cu. were ldACO
Sab per dozen, equal to only 20.7S
per cent of their value. Thus it was
that the poor man buying gloves of
this sort paid on his own gloves tax
nearly five times as heavy and on the
gloves of his wife and children a tax
nearly four times as heavy as the tax
paid by his wealthy neighbor.
The man who used iron or steel
trousers buckles, worth s cents per
hundred. was taxed at the rate Of
17.4S per cent of their value, while the
man who could afford better quality.
worth SIPS per hundred. was taxed at
the rate of only 26.6S per cent The
man who bought spectacles or eye
glasses worth 24.4 cents a dozen paid
tax of 96.S1 per cent of their value
but the man buying quality worth
S3.01 per dozen paid only so per cent.
The purchaser of certain class of
watch movements worth only S5.3
cents apiece was taxed 6602 per cent.
The purchaser of quality of watch
movements worth $30.16 apiece was
taxed 34.95 per cent. Agate buttons