The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-06-10
PROJECTIONS FAVORS TO
FOREIGNERS.
Tariff Duties Unnecessarily
High, Even From a Protection
lists Point of View.

High, Even From a Protection
lists Point of View.
Tie Outlook
For a long time it has been be-
lieved that "protected' Ameri-
can manufacturers have been
selling their products at lower
prices to foreigners than to their
fellow-citizens. Until recently,
however, it has not been known
that this had become a recognized
practice, The latest testimony
to that effect is in a pamphlet
prepared by Mr.. James G. Par
sons, Secretary of the Tariff Re-
form Committee, and entitled
Projections Favors to Foreign
ers." In this pamphlet is set
forth the practice of manufac-
turers who sell for export at one
set of prices, necessarily low
enough to get the trade in foreign
markets, and in the home market
at another set of prices, kept as
high as the tariff, with the COM
binations and agreements foster
ed by it, will permit. According
- the testimony collected in this
pamphlet, leather, for instance,
is sold at five to ten per cent be-
low domestic prices; lead, at lit
tie more than half the home
price; and steel rails at ten dol
lars a ton less than the price in
this country-$28 to $32. Re-
garding the last-named commo-
dity, the tariff hearings last De-
cember afforded a mass of infor-
nation. The testimony of Mr..
Schwab, President of the Bethle-
hem Steel Company, deserves
citation, especially the following
passage between him and the
Hon. Champ Clark, the Demo-
cratic leader of the Committee
on Ways and Means:
Mr.. Clark: Do you know of
your own knowledge what is the
greatest discrepancy there ever
was between the home price of
steel rails and the foreign price?
Mr.. Schwab: The greatest
discrepancy?
Mr.. Clark: Yes.
Mr.. Schwab: You mean how
high in this country and how low
in Europe?
Mr.. Clark: How much lower
did American manufactured steel
rails sell for abroad as compared
with what they sold for at home!
Mr.. Schwab: | should say pro-
badly $40; | am not sure of that,
however; that is merely a guess.
Mr.. Clark: 1t is a habitua
process to sell them cheaper
abroad, is it not?
Mr.. Schwab: Yes, sir; and 9
very wise process.
Mr.. Cochran: Could you ex
plain the wisdom Of it to the vic
tins of it as we'll as to the bene.
fciaries of it? From the point o:
view of the American consumer
where does the wisdom of i
come in?
Mr.. Cochran: | am not think
ing of the consumer. | am think
ing of the manufacturer
Oaughter.) | presume there i
no argument there.
Mr.. Cockran: There is no ar
gument there. The more you ge
the merrier.
Mr.. Schwab: | have said
was a wise provision for tn
manufacturer. You cannot let
steel plant stand idle. The fire
in your furnaces and the hea
costs go on whether you are max
ing steel or not.
Mr.. Cochran: You said as
matter of fact that there are di1
ferent rates charged for you
products abroad, and you charg
less abroad than you charge 9
home?
Mr.. Schwab: We usual
charge abroad what we can gel
Mr.. Cochran: You do that 6
home, do you not?
Mr.. Schwab: Yes, Of course
!. Mr.. Cochran: You cannot, {
course, put a pistol to 9. man
head and take all he has.
Mr.. Schwab: You can in SON
instances; yes.
In so essential a commodity ;
sugar, Mr.. Parsons declares tn;
refined sugar has been exporte
to Great Britain at 2.6 cents
pound when the wholesale pri'
in this country was 4.55 cent
the difference in favor of tt
foreign consumer being l.!
cents, the exact amount of tt
duty on refined sugar! The pr
lection given to the Sugar Tru
is equivalent to 1877 per ce
ad valorem. Mr.. Parsons furt
er informs us that
Something like six billi'
pounds of refined sugar are co
sumed annually in this countr
Of which the Sugar Trust rein
about four billion five hundr
million pounds, or seventy-i
per cent. Yet this giant indr
try, noted for it's enormous pl
fits and great accumulat
wealth, not content with it's
treme protection (the net prot'
ton on refined sugar is from S
teen to twenty cents per hundr
pounds, while the total labor c.
of refining does not exceed
cents) has deliberately cheat
- a Thrilling Reacue.