Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 February 1892 — Tariff Shot. [ARTICLE]

T ariff Shot.

Under the operation of high duties the price of domestic wool lias always gone down. Under low tariffs, however, wool has risen in price. On this point we have the testimony of Mr. Thomas Dolan, who declared in a letter to the New York World on the fail in tiie price of wool as a result of the increased duties imposed by the McKinley tariff that it was distinctly promised by tiie protectionists who took part In the conferences of wool growers and manufacturers. And Senatoi Sherman said in the debate on the tariff of 1883: “In 1867 the price of wool wue 51 cents; in 1880, hi cents. This was the result of the policy of protecting the wool grower, as it is In all industries, te gradually reduce tiie price. Under the operation of the existing tariff (tiie tariff of 1H67) tho price of wool lias gradually gone down.” All wools were free of duty down to 1824, when a duty of 15 to 30 percent., wua imposed. Tills duty was increased by the tariff of 1828 to 1 cents per pound and 50 per cent. Fader the compromise tariff of 1833 the duty was graduually lowered, and In 1H42 It stood at 4 cents per pound and 20 per cent. The tariff of 1842 raised it again to 3 cents per pound and 30 per cent. The act of 1846 made tho duty on wool 30 per cent; that of 1857 put low grades on the free list and cut down the rate on all other wools to 24 per cent. The Morrill tariff of 1861 increased the duty 1 1 9 cents pel pound, and the special wool tariff of 1867 raised the duties to 10 cents per pound and 11 per cent, on clothing wools, and 12 cents per pound and 10 per cent, on combing wools. The tariff of 1882 took off tiie ad valorem duties, but left the pound duties us they were, and the McKinley tariff added another cent to the duty on clothing wools. Graphically illustrated, the average price of medium Ohio wool in the seaboard markets lias been as follows under eac li tariff.

Tho average prices given are compiled from Mawger A - Curry’s olrculur, as printed in the “ Statistical Abstract ol tiie United States." 1. Wool free of duty. Price the Ilrsl half of 1824, 4iH cents per pound, or 2. erago prlco of wool 424 cents per pound, or fIHMHHiHHfIHi 3. Lower wool duties. 1833-1842. Average price of wool, 48.9 cents per pound, or 4. Higher wool duties, 1843-1846. Average price of wool, 33J cents per pound. 5. Lower wool duties, 1847-1856. Average price of wool 40 3-5 cents per 6. Still lower wool duties, 1857-1860. Average price of wool, 44jf cents pot pound, or HUHHBHKHHHHHfIi 7. Wool duties raised, 1861-1866. Average price of wool 44$ cents per pound, or HHMRHriMHHiH 8. Wool duties raised still higher, 18671890. Average price of wool, 414 cents per HHHBHHHH 9. McKlnl cy tariff. Present price of XX Ohio wooi, 294@,30 cents per pound, bhhhi This confirms the statement made by Senator Sherman to the effect that high wool duties are accompanied by low prices of domestic wools, and that when the tariff on foreign wools is low domestic wools command higher prices.

Brass manufacturers at Bridgeport, Conn., have cut down the wages in the screw department from $2 to $1.75 per day, and have increased the hours of work from nine hours to ten. Molders’ wages have been cut from $2.50 to $1.90, and the wages of women reduced from $1.20 to 65 cents. The Clark Box Company, of Banbury, Conn., has reduced the wages of nailers 20 per cent. Both of these Connecticut concerns wore ardent supporters of the McKinley tariff, and sought to convince their workingmen that high tariff and high wages were almost equivalent terms. The McKinley organs still cackle ovei the large increase of exports as the effect of the tariff, and especially ol the reciprocity treaty. But the official returns of trade show that, with the exception of the exports of wheat and wheat flour, which have been enormously stimulated by reason of the famine in Russia and the partial failure of the crops in France and Germany, nearly all other staple exports of this country have declined under the operation oi McKinleyism. The imports of tinplate within the last ten months amounted to 697,732,207 pounds, against an importation of 614,729,703 pounds in the same months ol 1890—an increase of 83,000,000 pounds. These figures indicate that the domestic production of tinplate, of which we read so much about in the McKinley organs, has had little effect upon the foreign supply;

The directors of the American Soda Fountain Company or “trust” lately declared a semi-annual dividend of three dollars per share on the first preferred four dollars on the second preferred, and an annual dividend of ten dollars per share on the common stock to holders of record Jan. 26, payable Feb. 4. Parsley is poisonous to many kinds of birds.