The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1891 THE McKINLEY TARIFF.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2293, 20 January 1891, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1891 THE McKINLEY TARIFF.

The ways of American politicians are fearful and wonderful and past finding' out, and no more conspicuous confirmation of this could well be imagined than is furnished by the provisions of the McKinley Tariff Bill The duties imposed under this. Act have been cited a3 showing the evils of a protective tariff, but the Bill is framed without regard to any recognised political or economic system, and the recent elections m the United States have proved it to be repudiated by a large majority ot the citizens of that country, though all the leaders of the Republican party, with the exception of Mr J. G. Blame are supporters tot the measure. The principal and, unanswerable objection to the new tariff'is the excessive tax which it puts on the necessaries of life So persistently does this principle extend through the many clauses of the biil that no excuse or accident will avail m the face of the attacks tfcat are being made upon it. One feature, which touches the quality of the goods, lias created the impression that the ad- j vocates of the McKinley Bill purposely •track at the middle and lower classes j for the benefit of the large nmnufactureraandcapitalists. Sothoroughly roused are the classes affected that if |be recent election m the United]

States had been a Presidential one instead of Congressional only, is is

certain that the Democrats would have been successful by the largest majority j that any party ever obtained m that < country. Even mMr McKinley's own ' district, m spite of the coercion of employers the men employed m the factories voted almost unatninously against that gentleman. The effect of the new tariff upon retailers has as yet scarcely been tested, but enough has been seen to disenchant the great mass of * consumers, with it. Some of the leading linns have made no advance of prices, having purchased large stocks before the bill came into effect, but they declare that an advance at an i early date is inevitable. On the other 4 hand shops of lower standing have already raised the prices of their wares by the increased amount of duly. Thus corduroy trousers, which are almost universally worn by working men, and formerly sold retail at 8s a pair, have, with the increase of duty from 35 to 75 per cent, risen m price to 10s 5d per pair. There are only three manufacturers of these goods m America, and they cannot possibly supply the demand. A worsted woollen suit of clothes, which laborers have been able m the past to buy for £2, now costs £2 14s, thetarifFon this suit having increased from 80 to 110 per cent. Had the action of the manufacturers and retailers been carried out m the spirit which its advocates claimed to have actuated them m passing the Bill of assisting the home producer by protecting him from foreign competition ; had they sold a £2 suit as before, while the cost of of a foreign suit would have been £2 14s, then there might have been some excuse for the extension of the- tariff. But, with a total indifference to this phase of the matter, the merchants of the United States have taken advantage of the opportunity to increase their prices to exactly the same point which the importer has to charge. Thus Mr McKinley and his supporters have done nothing except facilitate the robbery of the working .classes, and create widespread discon'K Io every description of goods used o>Mie middle and working classes the same or>^ ter extortion is manifest. In womeft^] othi the much worn plush and imifow )n seal saques which have hitherto been Suir] a t £4. to £5 cost now from ,£25 upwards; -while there has actually been a decrease w the price of real seal sacques, as the same sacque which last winter sold for £40 can now be bought for £38, and a £100 sealskin sacque can now be purchased for £95. This has been accomplished owing to the reduction of the tariff on sealskin 10 per cent. In men's ready-made suits, grades which formerly cost £4 or £5 now cost from £i 16s to £6. But it is at that figure that the extravagant increase ceases ; for suits costing from £10 to £20 there is no material advance. Silk and cotton velvet ribands, the former cost of which was from 5d to 7|d a, yard, have risen m. price to from Yd to"lOid a yard ; and the highest grade of silkvelvet riband has been reduced 10 per cent., while silk and cotton velvets for dress, which formerly sold at 4s a yard now coat 8s per yard, the tariff being more than double. Corsets, which hitherto cost 8s now cost 11s, white 12s corsets now cost 14s. On household articles made of tin, such as dishes, pans, colanders, coffee-pots, wash-basins, etc., the price is doubled. This arises from the added tax of almost 100 percent, on tin plate, which tax was inflicted despite the fact that not one piece of sheet tin is produced m America. One of the most inexcusable attempts to find a reason for imposing additional taxation will be found m connection with white earthenware. The question was never raised heretofore as to what the classification of this particular article was. It has baen entered as plain, ordinary white earthenware. Now, wishing to exact more duty, the McKinley Bill places it underthe headingof "decorated earthenware," as the framer of the Bill contends that although the ware is white it is still glized, and m the glaze is "blueing," which is used for the purpose of removing the (Dreamy colour. The presence of this l( blueing" has been construed into decoration, and therefore, instead of a simple tax of 40 per cent., under which earthenware was formerly imported, there is now a duty of 60 per cent. A jug which formerly cost 4s is now sold at 6s, and even on such small items as children's tea sets the new tariff largely increases the duty. The tea sets are not made m the States and manufacturers have no wish to make them. Heretofore importers have paid a duty of 35 per cent., but this tariff has now been raised to 60 per cent,, and is exacted not only on the actual china sefc itself, but on the value of the box m which it is packed. This box is generally worth half as much as the contents, so that a child's tea set which hitherto cost 4s] costs j6s 6d. Children's play boxes, used for teaching the alphabet and other juvenile games, which formerly cost 2s, are now priced at 4s. Cigars are affected like other things. A cigar which formerly cost 2|d is now priced at sd, and one which formerly •old for 6d now costs 7£d. The McKinley Bill has really no compensating feature, for while manufacturers are. delighted with the new tariff, and Jjave raised the prices of their manufacturers corresponding with the increased duties, there is no evidence of any intention on theip part to share any portion of the increment with the workman by increasing his -wages, The working men have been promised by Republican orators that an increase m the tariff meant an increase m wages, ■ but it is beginning to be understood that every advance of this description is really equivalent to a proportionate reduction m wages, through the increased cost to the consumer of every article of common daily use. The feeling m the States is so strong that there can be $q doubt that the obnoxious measure will iiayj? a very brief existence.