Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 June 1890 — Enormously Enhanced Duties on Cutlery. [ARTICLE]

Enormously Enhanced Duties on Cutlery.

Here is a protest from the St. Louis dealers iu cutlery which shows how the price of various necessaries in that line are to go up under the influence of the McKinley tariff: On pocket-knives, 100 per cent, ad valorem, instead of 50 per cent., as now. On razors, 75 per cenl. ad valorem, instead of 50 per cent, as now. On c irving and cooks’ knives. 70 per cent, ad valoreni, instead of 35 per cent, as now. On table cutlery, 50 per cent, ad valorem, instead of 35 per cent, as now. On butcher-knives, 55 per cent, ad valorem, instead of 35 per ceni. as now. On scissors and shears, 45 per cent, ad valorem, instead of 35 per cent, as now. The heaviest burden in each case is put on the cheapest goods. On pocket-knives the duty runs as high as 132 per cent. On razors the duty runs as high as 100 per cent. On carving-knives the duty rums as high as 99 per cent. On table cutlery the duty runs as high as 70 per cent. On butcher-knives the duty runs as high as 65 per cent. These rates, say the dealers, are in nearly all cases prohibitory, and would, if enacted, shut out grades and patterns not made in this conutry, and WLich are largely bought by work ng people. They further say that “there is no good res son for the udvance, nnd it is evidently made with the intention of benefiting a comparatively small clas9 of the manufacturers, to the disadvantage of the toiling masses.” As a matter of fact, the entire bill seems to have been shaped upon that policy. It is purely a class measure, apd if made law will itself make the cost of living higher in the United States than in any other country on the face of the earth, although there is no other half so rich in natural wealth or in the variety of the necessaries of life.