Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-11-03
Vote for Tariff Reform.


tive in congress Nov. s, and for
members of your state legislature
who will elect a United States sena-
tor you are virtually voting on the
tariff issue and high prices. Of
course, you desire that your vote
shall count to reduce the present
high cost of living and you know that
the present high tariff is chief cause
Of the present high prices.
Although every democratic candi-
date for congress is undoubtedly for
tariff reform, yet it will do no harm
to ask him to publicly define his po-
sition on the tariff. The national
democratic position is for tariff
to produce enough revenue to pro-
vide the government with necessary
funds and not for the purpose of
protection. Any tariff, however low
the rate may be, protects the home
manufacturer to the extent Of the
tax. If the tariff law is only 10 per
cent on some article, the cost of i'm
porting that article is increased by
that much in addition to the profit
that the importer adds on the tariff
tax which he pays. the cost of trans
portation and the charges added, on
which the importer also adds his
profit.
For instance: A razor is imported
which costs so cents in England on
which the duty was increased in the
present tariff law from Sc per cent
to 81 per cent. The importer pays
so cents to the English manufacturer
and when the razor arrives in New
York, before he can get it out of the
custom house he must pay the tariff
of 90 per cent or Al cents, also the
freight and charges-about 3 cents
more. That brings the cost Of the
razor to the importer here to $1.OO.
He then adds his profit of, say 20
per cent making the price $1.20 to
the wholesale dealer, and by the
time the razor is sold to the con-
sumner or user the profits of the diff
ferent hands through which it
passes will have added 80 cents
more, making the price $50.
But If the razor had been manu-
featured in this country the whole
sale and retail profit would have
been added as on the imported ra-
zor; so take the cost of $1.20 for
which the foreign made razor was
sold to the wholesaler and we find
that the tariff has added 20 cents
or 40 per cent on the original cost
of 80 cents. But leaving out the
freight and charges of 3 cents,
which would be paid if there were
no tariff, the tariff tax would be re-
duced to 81 cents. or 134 per cent
which is the real percentage cost of
the tariff on the razor instead of "a
per cent which the government
charges.
The same proportional increase in
price is added to all of the nearly
1000 articles taxed by the tariff, but
i'm most cases there would have to
be added much greater percentage
on account of freight on articles that
are heavier than Tazors. 1t is, there
fore, plain that the American manu-
facturer of raZors can add nearly
1874 per cent to his profits and still
undersell the foreign razor manu-
facturer, for it is fair to estimate
that the foreign and home manufac-
turer make about the same profit on
the cost of manufacturing.
DO YOU ludI tue ldEOI
ufacturer needs such enormous pro-
lection and profit as the razor ex-
ample shows? Or is there any other
industry-now in its infancy-in
this country that needs the high pro-
lection which the republican party
has given in the present so-called re-
vised tariff? IT, after a careful con-
sideration, you believe that the tar
if law was enacted to plumber you
for the benefit of the combinations
and trusts which now mostly control
our manufacturing business. you will
be helping your own pocket by be-
ing sure that you vote for those to
represent you who will enact real
tariff reform.
The tariff issue Is matter of tax
alton, and the question is, How high
shall the taxes be? So don't allow
+hN ~er:-h1ica@ po'-en"rarS ard SWELL
binders to befog the issue with their
plea that the farmers and working
men must be protected by the tariff,
because the chief beneficiaries of the
tariff are the trusts to whom we pay
the larger share of the tax.