Democratic Sentinel, Volume 21, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 May 1897 — THE TARIFF ON CUTLERY. [ARTICLE]

THE TARIFF ON CUTLERY.

Why the Trust Can Dictate Such Outrageously Hff'h Duties. Ono of the worst schedules in the Dingley bill is tlrnt relating to cutlery —especially pocket cutlery. The duties on pccketkuives range from 100 per oent to 300 per cent above present duties and are nearly double those in the McKinley bill. Why, you will ask, are these duties so extraordinarily high? -Aud why are they allowed to remain there? Both questions are easily answered. It is unnecessary hero to go into details. Befoie McKinley’s nomination one of the five or six large manufacturers of pocket cutlery, who was prominent iu tho trust, which raised prices an average of about. 35 per cent under the McKinley bill, began to hustle for McKinley. Ho is said to have raised a large sum of money by passing the lint among the 20 or 25 cutlery manufacturers. Just how tho money was spent is not known. It is probable, however, that severnl McKinley delegates to St. Louis owed their presence there to this fund. Tho hat pusser himself was one of the very few delegates from New York who was for McKinley first, last and all the time. He was one of Hanna’s most trusted lieutenants. One of the two favors which he is said to have asked as compensation for his valuable services wus the fixing of the cutlery schedule. This privilege, being an ordinary and expected one under the protection system, was readily granted by the power behind the tlirono. This is probably tbe whole story. It explains fully why tho duties ure there and why they will stay there. Below is given iu detail some of the effects of tho proposed duties as applied to importations for the last fiscal year. Of courso but few knives will bo imported under such exorbitant duties. PROPOSED SCHEDULE. First.—All pocket knives not costing more than 40 cents n dozen, £5 per cent ad valorem. Second.— Costing more thun 40cents a dozen, 1 blade, 20 per cent ad valorem and 00 cents a dozen. Third.—Costing more than 40 cents a dozen, 2 blade, 20 por cent ad valorom and $1 a dozen. (If pearl or sholl, 00 cents a dozen extra.) Fourth.—Costing more Ilian 40 centsadozen, 8 blade, 20 per cent ad valorem and t 1.50 a dozen. Fifth.—Costing more tlian 40 cents a dozen, 4 blades or more, 20 per cent ad valorem and $3 a dozen. (If pearl or shell, 75 cents a dozen extra on 3 and 4 blades.) Calculation showing result based on importations for fiscal year 181X1: All knives costing 40 cents per dozen gnd less: 206,000 dozen, average price, 28 cents; value, $76,660; 85 Fer cent. Knives costing over 40 cents per dozen: v 48,000 dozen, 1 blade, averago price, 60 cents; value, 128,800; at 20 per cent and 50 cents a dozen; duty, $20,760. 802,000 dozen, 2 blade, average price, $1.03; value, $408,760; at 20 per cent aud $1 a dozen; duty, $472,762. 277,000 dozen, 8 blade, average price, $1.27; value, $351,700; at 20 per eent and $1.50 a dozen; duty, $485,858. * 254,000 dozen, 4 blade, average price, $1.78; value, $430,420; at 20 percent and $2 per dozen; duty, $505,884. Total value, $1,223,770; total duty, $1,584,264; 120 U per cent. Estimated that of 2, 8 and 4 blade 25 per cent are of pearl or shell, adding duty ns follows: 88,000 dozen, 2 blade, at 60c. $49,000 80,250 dozen, 3 blade, at 750. 50,438 63,500 dozen, 4 blade, at 7oc. 47,625 $1,740,317-142.0; p. c. RESULT. Knives to the value of 0 per cent of importations, duty would be 35 per cent. Knives to the value of 94 per cent of importations, duty would be 142>£ per cent. The duty on pocket cutlery for some years prior to 1860 was 24 per cent ad valorem. From 1860 to 1890 it was 60 per cent ad valorem, with the exceptions of a short time during that period when it was 45 per cent ad valorem. The McKinley tariff averaged about 91 per cent ad valorem. The Wilson tariff averaged about 51 per cent ad valorem. The proposed Dingley iariff will average, based on the importations of 1896, 142}; per cent ad valorem on 94 per cent of all knives imported during tlrnt year. The equivalent ad valorem duties on the following popular description of knives, under the McKinley bill, Wilson bill and proposed Dingley bill, are os follows: McKin- Wilson Dingley bilL bill, ley bill. P. C. P. C. P. C. 8 blade Jackknives that retail at 25 cents 113 66 145 2 blade pearl ladies’ knives that retail at 2u cents 112 56 195 2 blade pearl ladies’ knives that retail at 50 cents S 3 61 120 8 blade penknives, not pearl or shell, that retail at 50 cents 83 61 120 3 blade penknives, pearl or ’ shell,that retail at SOeents 83 61 170 4 blade penknives, not pearl or shell, that retail at 50 cents 83 51 160 4 blade penknives, pearl or Bhell.that retail at 50 cents S 3 51 204