Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 October 1890 — Facts About the M’Kinley Law. [ARTICLE]

Facts About the M’Kinley Law.

The free-trade and foreign press are one in foretelling the dreadful effects which thd new tariff law will have when it comes into operation: Everything will be higher in spite of the fact that never in the history of the country has the free list embraced so large a part of the imported merebandiee as the new law places there. But >once in the history of the country has the ratio of duties imposed to to the value of merchandise been so low as it is under the present law. Taken upon all the merchandise imported the last fiscal year, the duties imposed by the Mills bill would be equal to. per cent, of its value, while under the new law it would have been 27 per cent. On earthenwares glassware and glass the duty is no higher in the new tariff on any article in general use imported to this part of the country thau it was in the one it succeeds. The duty on bar and structural iron, steel rails and most other kinds of iron, except the higher grades of steel, are lower under the new law. Great tumult has been raised about the increased duties on cutlery, but there is no cause for it. A specific duty of from 12 cents to $2 per dozen, according to the value, has been added to the old duty to put a stop to undervaluation. The duty on table knives is changed in the same manner, but the Seriate committee say that the average of such duties is not much above the average of the old tariff law. The duty on the common grades of wire nails is reduced nearly 50 per cent, and on cut nails 25 per cent. The duty on tin-plates has been increased from one cent to two and two-tenths cents per pound, to the end that the great industry may be transferred from England to this country. It is believed that the increased duty will result, in a short time, in better tinned plates at as low a priee as they are now sold. Such has bas_ been the experience of the country with all iron products which have been fully protected. On all the common grades of cotton fabrics the duty has been reduced, and advanced on the higher, in the expectation of their manufacture in this country, which, by present advices, promises to be realized. The duties on some kinds of goods have been changed from ad valorem to compound duties, to prevent the evil of undervaluation. On all the higher grades the duty is slightly increased. The duties on woolens generally have been increased, but on the common grades, only sufficient to make up for the increase of the duty on wool, which was demanded by thousands of farmers. The duty on rough pine lumber is reduced one-half; but, on all other lumber and manufactures of wood there is no change. The greatest increase has been made in the agricultural schedule.. It extends to all the products of the farm which come in competition with those of Canada and Mexico. Sugar is put on the free list, except a duty of J cent a pound on granulated. There is absolutely no duty on sugar, after April l, which now bears a duty of 2| cents a pound. Such are the facts about the new tariff bill. Upon the basis of the revenues from imported goods last year, $58,060,000 of highly-taxed merchandise has been placed on the free list. Mr. Mills bill added not over $20,000,000 to, the free list. Mr. Mills put wool, which ohr own people can produce in abundance, on the free list, while the McKinley law makes sugar which we do not produce insufficient quantity, free. In view of siich facts as these, it ; s not worth while to listen to the falsehoods of the agents of foreign importers in -Naw .York and their organs which repeat them without caring what they say so loDg as they can strike at the protection of American industries.—lndianapolis Journal.