Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 October 1892 — A COMPARISON. [ARTICLE]

A COMPARISON.

CONDITIONS IN GREAT BRITAIN WffH | THOSE OF THE UNITED BTATES. Hifher Tum, Lower WafH, More FM* pen. Smaller Sawing* DepodU I^Sjp Creator Katlonal Debt. In r.nglond Than la tho United State*. LSpaetal Cutimpuateiaßil I Washington, Oct.l7.—Do the people who are clamoring for free trade ever compare the conditions of the past and present of thin country with the one eeeential free trade country of the World— England? If not, it might be s good tiling for them to do so. I have been looking into the question a little of late . and comparing the conditions in this country and in free trade Great Britain. Here are some of the things which I find: The annual tax collected from the people by the government of free trade Great Britain is $12.60 per capita, while that of the United States is lees than $6 per capita. The deposits in savings banks in Great Britain amount to $130,000,000, or five dollars per capita, while those in the savings banks of the United States amount to $1,623,079,794, or twenty.fivo dollars per capita. The amount of money in circulation in Great Britain is $17.90 per capita while the amount in circulation in the , United States is $23.62 per capita. Indeed there is scarcely a country of any importance on the map of the world 1 which has as large an amount of money per capita as has the United States. The national debt of Great Britain amounts to S9O for each individual in her population, while that of the United States amounts to sl3 for each individual. The annubl interest charge upon the public debt in Great Britain is $3.25 per capita; the annual interest charge upon the public debt in the United States is 35 cents per capita. Great Britain, under her free trade system, has decreased her public debt in the last thirty-five years $620,000,000; the United States, under protection, has decreased her public debt in twenty-five years $1,551,000,000. In free trade Great Britain there is 1 pauper for every 39 individuals, and 1 person in every 13 receives more or leas parish support; in protective United States there is 1 pauper for every 643 inhabitants. * The “balance of trade” is hundreds of millions of dollars against Greet Britain every year. Under her vaunted free trade she imports vastly more than she sells. Her exports last, year amounted to $1,300,000,000 in round numbers, , and her imports amounted to .$2,100,000,000, making a balance on the “yropg side of the of $800,000,000. Our exports last year were $1,039,885,636, and pur imports were $827,391,284, thus giving us a balance of $202,944,842' on the “right side of the ledger.” The balance of trade was $800,000,000 against free trade Great Britain: last year, while it was $200,000,000 in favor of protected United States. In the last ten ¥*s?* PUT exports have' exceeded our impwte by $706,383,814. lit that timetheexportsof-Great.Britain have fallen $8,315,000,000 below her movrts. In other words,-in Jhe,depad© iost eh,?®* l protective United States has a balance Cf over $700,000,000 oh the right side of the i^« er » wMle free trade Great Britain, whose “commerce. Irules the world,”, shows wrong side of th© ledger. _ In free trade Great Britain bricklayers get $1.17 per day; in protected United States, $3 per day; carpenters in Great Britain get $1.28 per day; in the United States, $2.35 per day; in free trade Great Britain engineers get $1.46 per day; in the United States, $3.23 per day; in Great Britain machinists get $1.20 per day; in the United States, $2.50 per day; in Great Britain compositors get 15 cents per thousand in the United States, 40 cents per thousand; in Great Britain shipbuilders get $8 per week; in the United States, sl6. , . • Thus it will be seen that in every particular our condition is better than that of our free trade neighbor. Our commerce is in infinitely better coiidition because we receive hundreds of mllllnm; of dollars more for bur products than we pay opt for the things we buy, while the reverse, is true with Great Britain. Our public debt is less than one-sixth per capita that of Great Britain, while our annual interest charge is only about one-tenth per capita that in Great Britain. We have decreased our debt in 25 years 2J£ times as much as Great Britain' has been able' to decrease' her debt in 35 years. Great Britain has 1 pauper for every 39 parsons, while we have 1 for every. 643. Our government collects from her people less than $6 per capita of takes; that of Great Britain collects from her • people-over sl2 per capita of taxes. The deposits in savings banks in Great Britain average $0 per capita of the I population; those in the United States ! average $25 per capita of population, t The money in circulation in Great Britain is $17.90 per capita, while thatof ti* United Steves is $25.62 per capita. Wages ” in the United States kre : from 75 to 100 per cent, higher than those paid in Great Britain. What good reason is there for desiring to exchange English free trade far the protection which gives us these condition*. which in every case are so much bti&ter than those of our British neighbor? II ■> il t .i 11 11 ill ** k Jy