The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-08-31
aDUMPINGn oFSURPLUSP PRODUCTS.

~H practice Of dumping IS something that s1a-
mniar to every line Of industry. II Is practically
= impossible Cor any producer to forecast his market
accurately. In order to reduce his relative costs ana De
ready to supply any demand that may be made, he pro
duces as large a quantity as his plant viii permit or as
large as he hopes to sell. Therefore. in a majority OF
instances. there is an over-production. and in order to
clear his stock rooms, the producer Il cuts the
price OF part Of his product in order to force It upon an
unwilling market.
Each manufacturer tries, OF course, to dump" his sur
plus product in such a manner as not 10 permanently
injure his own trade. The American manufacturer. al
ter supplying the normal demand IN his home Market
endeavors to dump" his surplus BY selling at a reduced
price in other countries. The European producer. whose
FIRST market is among the people Of his own nation gets
his regular profit from sales al a regular price. but when
he finds a surplus on hand, as is frequently the case, ne
sends It to this country to be sold at less than cost
rather than carry 1t and suffer greater loss through IN
ability to sell at all.
In every community We see illustrations Of this prac-
tice Of dumping" at ererychange Of seasons. The straw
hat that sells for three or four dollars at the opening
Of the season will be sacrificed at a dollar or even less,
rather than be carried over into the winter. Sacr1hce
sales OF furs late in the winter. and sacrifice sales OF
summer goods late in the summer are otner LEustFd'
tons OF the same practice.
A broader example OF dumping" however, is to be
found in many lines where inferior qualities Of raw ma
terIal, together with cheap labor, are combined to pro-
duce commodities which, 70 the Impractical eye, are
substantially the same as those OF standard INES; out
which really are OF the "near-seal" or 'nearElk' or
"nearLsomething' character, and which have been pro-
duced for the sole purpose Of being dumped" IN the
domestic market there is no safeguard except eteTnal
vigilance against this sort Of "dumping"-as many a
"stung" purchaser can testify. In the import trade, ho"-
ever, there is a sovereign remedy for such al evil IN the
form OF wisely-drawn tariff schedules which impose
specific rather than advalorem duties. By such means
foreign shoddies may be kept from being dumped in our
markets, which will be reserved for the American man
ufacturer with his superior product. and who viii
dump" only small Quantities and those at end'season
times.
When We measure the amount Q. tariff duty necessary
to protect the Aerrican manufacturer from ruinous com
petition with manufacturers abroad, we must take INTO
consideration that the foreign manufacturer is ready a.
every opportunity to dump" his surplus product on the
American market at less than cost Of production. Per
hitting the foreign manufacturer to unload his surplus
or inferior product in America necessarily means that
the product Of American labor in the same line OF IN
dustry must be sold in competition herewith or the MAJ
ket be given over 10 the foreign producer.
These facts are within the observation OF every business
man. and should not be overlooked in the study OF the
tariff question.