Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-09-08
Our Letter Box:
Facts on the Tariff.

Editor Kennebec journal:
In order to show the fallacy of much
of the argument, that the tariff adds
50 much to the price of goods, let us
note a few articles with which every
housekeeper is familiar. The import
price of about seven-eights of all the
coffee that comes into this country,
is less than cents per pound. Roast
ing and grinding and the shrinkage,
is less than two cents per pound. This
same coffee retails at from 20 to IS
cents a pound or at profit of from
100 to $50 per cent. There is no tarin
on coffee. During the war and later
rhere was duty of 5 cents pound
on coffee, but when it was taken off III
1872 coffee actually increased in price.
Foreign producers increased the price
more than the duty; so this govern,
ment not only lost millions of revenue
which went to foreign countries but
our consumers paid higher for the
goods.
Take the familiar articles of spices.
There is no duty on the unground
spices, and all spices are imported in
the unground state. The average inn
port prices of spices is about II cents
cents pound, or an increase of from
100 to 300 per cent. This can in no
wise be laid to the tariff. The same
may be said in regard to tea. Most
of the tea we import costs landed here,
from 10 to 10 cents per pound; very
small part costs from 20 to % cents,
which is the very highest quality Tea
costs from 40 to $1.25 per pound. Tea
comes in free of duty; so this 300 or
500 per cent. increase in price cannot
be charged to that. When the 10 cents
per pound duty was taken off of tea
several years ago, it did not fall in
price in the least. So what the govern
ment lost in revenue was not gained
by the consumer.
They raise some tea down in South
Carolina and Senator Tillman says
they can raise millions of pounds of
just as good tea there as is raised any
where. He appeared before COM
mittee of Congress and advocated
duty on tea. He said he had made
careful investigation of the subject.
and he was satisfied that duty on tea
would not make the price any higher
to the consumer. And Senator Till
man is regarded one of the most
straightforward Democrats in Con-
gress. Now taking the facts reviewed
above. and the assertion of Senator
Tillman, together with the fact that
taking the entire duty from hides did
not reduce the price; and that notWlth-
standing that 40 per cent. duty was
taken from spars. they increased in
price; and that the price OF lumber adj
vanced in face of the fact that the
duty was reduced 81 per 1000 and up
wards: can we not with equal conf
dence claim, what all students of econ
omy are convinced. that in large
majority of cases the tariff does not
increase the price to the consumer.
If it did, how can we account for the
fact that in several instances the tar
if is greater than the entire price of
the article? The fact is that the gov
eminent must have revenue; and all
candid statesmen know that it can be
obtained from imported goods with less
burden to our own people than in any
other way. Note an instance. Care
full investigation showed that two
thirds of a certain grade of stockings
were being imported from foreign
countries; so in order to give our own
manufacturers a chance. the Payne
tariff act largely increased the duty on
that grade of goods. The result was
that thousands of young women are
now being employed in this country
by our own manufacturers making
this grade of goods; and more than
that. the price of these stockings have
not increased a single mill to the con-
sumner. If it were necessary many in
stances could be cited with which every
housekeeper is familiar. to emphasize
this well-known fact, that the amount
of the duty is not added to the price
Of the goods.
c. f. SMITH.