Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-12
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w LETTER
H. B. WALKER
DUTY AND DISCRIMINATION
n. B. WALKER
Star star Correspondent
Star Bureau,

| Star Bureau,
Metropolitan National Bank Bldg,
| WASHINGTON, Sept. IL.
| One of the reasons for protective,
! or competitive tariff, agreed to by
both Republicans and Democrats, is
that on a good many things, foreign
manufacturers can produce goods.
pay the freight across the. ocean, and
land them In American ports cheaper
| than domestic manufacturers can
make the goods.
| Now enter Senator Cummins to
point out that. with the tariff greatly
reduced under the pending underwood
bill. the foreign manufacturer has a
decided advantage in the fact that
| when he gets his goods across the
ocean and into this country, he can
ship them by railroad to inland
points cheaper than American manu-
facturers can send their goods to
the same points.
1t has long been the practise of
the railroads. and a well-known prac-
tise. to make lower freight ratio
on goods for export than on those for
home consumption. Grain, meats,
iron and metals. and lot of other
things, are shipped from Chicago and
other inland points to Europe cheaper
than they can be shipped from the
same points to New York and other
ocean ports Tor nome use.
One of the reasons thousands of
American farmers have gone to Man.
itoba and Saska tchawan to grow
wheat is that they can send their
grain to st. Paul and other milling
points from Canada at lower freight
rates than American farmers the
same distance away have to pay.
1t hasn't been so well known, how
ever. that foreign goods brought into
this country are given lower freight
rate to inland points than domestic
goods shipped from and to the same
points.
The figures exhibited by Senator
Cummins in the Senate a few days
ago. showing how American railroads
discriminate against American manu-
facturers in this respect, has created
a lot Of talk and interest in and out
of Congress, and 1t is almost fore
gone conclusion that Congress will
do something about these discrimina-
lions next winter.
In the meantime New Jersey manu-
facturers and those of other Atlantic
seaboard and gulf States will have
to figure on paying higher freight
rates than their foreign competitors
pay, in addition to losing part of their
tariff protection. a good share of
which, according to Senator Cum
mins's figures, has been going into
the pockets of the railroads.
Take common chinaware, for in
stance, of which Trenton makes a lot.
Railroad freight rates from Trenton
are about the same as those from
New York, and the Trenton pottery,
when 1t ships a carload of china to
a Western city, has to pay a higher
freight rate than the importer who
oh inc ri Of ilh xx,a
New York to the same city. The
figures quoted by Senator Cummins
include lengthy and elaborate tables.
For newspaper purposes a very few
of these figures can be reproduced.
Here are few that show the idea:
A carload of imported china will go
from New York to Cleveland at a
rate of Is cents a hundred. The rate
on domestic china Is 81 cents.
Sulphate of ammonia, Of domestic
production, takes a freight rate Of
Is cents from New York to Cleveland.
The rate on imported sulphate is 10
cents.
Rice for brewers use is grown ex-
tensively in Louisiana and MISSISSIPPI
pi. The rate from New Orleans to a
number of Texas points, where rice
is used by brewers, Is 81 cents, In
carload lots. on domestic rice, and 36
cents on imported rice. From New
York to Chicago the freight rate on
imported rice is Is cents; on domes-
tic rice rs cents.
Rates from Newport News to inland
points show that the rates from that
point are generally higher on i'm
ported and lower on domestic goods;
but Newport News is not a great
port of entry. Not many goods are
brought in from abroad through that
port.
From New York, Montreal, Phila-
delphia, Baltimore, Boston, New Or
leans and other ports of entry where
large quantities of foreign goods are
brought in. the freight rate on inn
ported goods to inland points Is al
most invariably lower than the freight
rate on domestic goods of the same
kind.
Efforts have been made by shippers
to have the Interstate Commerce
commission put stop to these dis
ordinations. The courts, however,
have held that while the commission
has power to forbid a railroad to
consider these protests 1t must con-
slider the entire distance of the ship
ment; that is, instead of saying
whether a railroad Is discriminating
in making lower rate from New
York to Chicago on imported goods.
II must say whether the rate from
Europe is too high, including the
ocean freight.