The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-05-25
Tariff Pointer. for Bailey.

-fAAA-A Il OlA4ACf-s lCE f1dilcIs
J. P. Bosch of Monterey. who is
spending some time visiting relatives
in Brownsville. is an interested stu
dent of the American tariff problem.
and has been following the progress
5 of the tariff revision now being at
tempted IN congress. In conversation
on the subject, Mr.. Boesch gives the
following example of his views. relat-
ing to the proposed increase in the
duties on white lead:
At the present moment" Mr..
Bosch said, refined lead is worth in
London about S65 per English ton
and in New York S97. The. very
large difference between these quo
tatiOns is the direct result of protec-
ton and nothing else 1t is a well
known fact. and one which deserves
to be investigated, that the United
States do not consume their full pro-
duction of lead and that a very large
amount is sold by American refiners
in London, and at the prices prevail
ing in the latter place. 1t should be
inferred therefrom that even at that
price less the necessary freight
charges from New York to London.
the American refiner is still making A
profit, and that his cost is based, not
upon American prices. but on the
quotations prevailing. in London. and
that in this cost price must naturally
De included the cost of his labor.
winch Is American and subject there
lore TO the scale of wages of the
American miner Who then does the
duty protect the refiner or the Ia
borer on whose behalf apDarent1v
hlgher rates of duties are advocated?
1t looks indeed as if the latter conten-
ton IS merely fallacy and that con
sequently there should be no reason
Tor reduction in the wages of the
american miner. even with lead on
the free list. This is the most natural |
deductlon to be made from the fact
as shown that the American re-
nners sell their lead in London at a !
price practically equivalent to what if +.
would cost without protective duties in |
New York.
On the other hand, what would be |
the results from cheaper lead? First |
and most important, a notable reduc-
ton in the price of all goods having
THIS metal in their composition. a
falr example is paint, for instance. of
which such a large consumption is
made in this country. With cheaDer
paint, more people would use paint
and paint better. The results of
cheap lead in just this one industry
are manifest. They cannot be un-
defrated. the more so when it is con-
sldered that they similarly affect all
the other industries of lead goods. So
far national conditions only have been
discussed, but what would be the re-
suits of cheaper lead at New York in
the other markets of the world? The
american refiner ships his lead to
London, sells it at the London price
and therefrOm it is distributed by the
English all over the two hemispheres
IN the shape of white lead and other
products. The reason is obvious now
why it is that such goods are import
ed into Mexico for instance from I
England and not from the United
States The American manufacturer
of lead products needs protection
protection by means of cheaper lead
because 1t certainly is absurd that
with no other plausible reason than
the alleged protection of the interests
If the ref1ner the American consumer
should be taxed so heavily for lead :
and that the foreign merchant Should :
go to London and buy lead products :
at considerably lower prices than
they are sold at in the very country
where the raw material for these very
products was mined"
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