The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-09-22
THE EFFECT OF THE
It Is Not Likely to Disturb Trade
 Says the Experts


 (From the New York Journal of Com
 merce)
 Importers and expert students of the tariff situation who have been looking over the conditions now exist ing with reference to the probable effect of a new tariff act, which is ex- pected to go into operation within a week, are of the opinion that the in fuence of the new measure has been greatly overestimated. They conf dent1y predict that the operation of the act during the year or so to come will produce but little effect upon the actual conditions as established h1th- erto. This opinion seems to be borne out by some capable foreign experts and business men, who have lately been in this city for the purpose or .ssizing up' conditions and making up their minds as to the probabilities 10 be looked for in near future.
 Quantities of goods held in bond at present are a good deal smaller than is currently reported, many of them having already been released and du- ties paid within the recent past. one reason for this release is the fact that under the changed provisions as to sugar now found in the tariff Dill the reason for holding raw sugar in ware house has passed. Another is that the postponement of the date of passing the tariff has delayed the opening or the fall trade, and in the judgment or some capable observers has in part destroyed or seriously injured the ScNAAA @1AASo SAAc1S been developed had action been ob- taind at earlier date. At this writ ing it is estimated, on the basis of the official returns, that not over $3O,- 000,000 of goods in excess of the amount held at this time last yeaa are in the bonded warehouses A warehouse at New York as of August 1 was S46,OOO,0OO, while this year .ir was reported as $68,ooo,OO0, differ ence of $22,0OO,OOO. If this compara-
 
 does to but a few per cent. of the total years importation at this port, a considerable proportion is wool and the lower products of wool Deduct ing these articles the balance is or comparatively unfnnportant amount and will not seriously affect the situ- ation so it is now stated, in most do- nestle lines This, it is believed, leaves domestic producers practically as much with the field to themselves as if the tariff had not been thought or.
 On the other hand, there is a very widespread feeling that the tariff postponement coupled with other fac tors has damaged the prospects or ta1I trade to some extent at least, and that the business likely to be done will not be as large as had been looked for. Had the tariff been disposed of six weeks earlier, business would have far better. The delay has given time for retailers to discount the crop losses. They are now confident that their customers will not spend as much money as had been expected. even if the goods were on their shelves at the present moment. The goods, how ever, are not on the shelves and it will take some time to put them there. Meanwhile, a good part of the best fall demand has disappeared owing to poStpOnementS and the fact that people have not bought what they would have taken had attractive goods been placed within reach. There will with the tariff and many represents tives of foreign firms whose rates of duty are practically fixed either by the conference committees work or by reason of the fact that the two houses have acted in identical way upon particular paragraphs and rates are today leaving New York for ex- tensive tours in which they expect to sell their goods delivered on the basis of the new rates. They look for a considerable demand becoming effec- tive from now on in a steadily in creasing degree in some lines. partic- u1arly in cotton manufactures and woo1en goods.
 The opinion of the foreigners who have been looking over the ground and to whom reference was made above is that even in the long run the influence of the new tariff will be a good deal less than it has been ex- pected to be in numerous quarters. An English manufacturer who has been examining American milling conditions in the textile trades and who has just gone back tc London says that in his opinion American manufacturers will so promptly ad- just themselves to the conditions of the new tariff that any excessive out lay on the part of English producers designed to lay a foundation for the exploitation of the American market would be unwarranted since it would probably result in loss to the foreign CTS if they were driven back into their own markets in the course of competition with domestic producers. This particular man does not believe the foreign textile manufacturers ex- cept in a few special lines, can stantr the excess costs of sending goods to the United States, bearing the expense of advertising and yet beat the home producers everywhere at their own game. He thinks that they might have done something by sending large quantities of goods to this country ready to take advantage of the neN conditions as soon as the act went in to effect, but as they have not done so the opportunity has largely gone by, and American producers are al- ready adapting themselves with great | ability to the changed outlook. The reason why foreign producers have not seized the tariff opportunity open ed to them is given by him as the great losses of capital in Europe due to the Balkan war and other factors l of a similar kind which have made capitalists 1oath to do anything that might subject them to unusual haz- ards.