Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-09-03
POOR PAY HEAVIEST.
Protective Tariff Always Favors
the Well to Do.
REAL NECESSITIES TAXED
Duties Are Much Heavier Upon Ar
ticles That People of Small or Mod
crate Means Are Compelled to Buy
Than Upon Those In Which the
Wealthy Alone Are Interested.

crate means Are Compelled to Buy
Than Upon Those In Which the
Wealthy Alone Are Interested.
1t is universally conceded that a tax
ought not to fall more heavily upon
those of small or moderate wealth
than it does upon the we'll to do and
wealthy. 1t is often considered right
that Il 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
tax upon an article of general use,
even if the tax he levied at n uniform
percentage, imposes an unjust burden
upon those having small or moderate
incomes, for the poor man will spend
Il much larger share of his income for
the article taxed than will the million
aire. Workiugmcn undoubtedly spend
for articles like sugar or salt and
therefore pay. in proportion TO their
wealth or incomes. Il much larger share
of the tariff duties on these articles
than is paid by men of large wealth.
Indeed there is little doubt that many
n nottingham with Il large family
pays, absolutely as well as in proper
i,,1( 49,
tain ncccSSaricS 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, Il 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 a multitude of specific
duties so much per pound or per yard.
and the effect of these duties is to tax
the article of poor or 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 lined fancy stitched or
embroidered glove of the same ma
terial pays duty ut 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 $31 per dozen,
the former S4.53.
In ladies' or childrens gloves the
discrimination was great Gloves Of
the material already mentioned over
seventeen inches in length, worth only
S4.2O per dozen, were taxed S3.15 per
dozen. equal to 749S per cent Of their
value, while gloves Of II finer quality,
worth $19.9S per dozen, were taxed
S4.15 per dozen, equal to only 2O.IS
per cent of their value. Thus it was
that the poor man buying gloves of
this sort paid on his own gloves a tax
nearly five times as heavy and on the
gloves of his wife and children 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
man who could afford better quality.
worth 81 % per hundred, was taxed ut
the rate OF only 2G.GS per cent. The
man who bought spectaclcs or eye
glasses worth 24,4 cents a dozen paid
tax of G6.S1 per cent of their value,
but the man buying Il quality worth
S3.07 per dozen paid only 80 per cent.
The purchaser of Il certain class of
watch movements worth only So.3
cents apiece was taxed GG02 per cent.
The purchaser of a quality of watch
movements worth S3O.1G apiece was
taxed 3495 per cent. Agate buttons
worth one-tenth Of cent per line en-
dured tax of 1915 per cent. Metal
buttons worth 5 cents per line bore
tax of 1908 per cent.
Fur hats and bonnets of all descrip-
lions averaging in value $500 per
dozen were taxed 96G6 per cent; those
of quality worth $3.50 per dozen
We're taxed ALAG per cent. Partly
manufactured wool and hair worth
SO 13 cents per pound was taxed $40
per cent; that worth S1.14 per pound
was taxed 93 20 per cent. Wool blan-
kets worth 2S.6 cents per pound paid
duty of 1GJ.42 per cent. blankets worth
S1.05 per pound duty of 1l.3O per
cent. Pushes and other similar fab
RIGS worth 800 cents per pound sus-
tanned tax of 141.7S per cent, those
worth S1.0o per pound tax of 1888
per cent.
1t will be seen that when rich and
poor were having in stock of cloth