TARIFF IMPORTS-Continued: Total value of imports of merchandise. Imported direct from foreign countries... Imported through exterior ports, without appraisement.. Entered for immediate consumption.... Entered for warehouse...... ...free... 15,099,564 TARIFF-Reduction in Capital, Production, and Wages Under. No. 367. [From the Report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of Massachusetts, 1895.] The effects of the Wilson tariff have been evident through almost every line of important industries, not only as regards the amount of product in those industries, but also as regards the number of persons employed and the wages paid to those workmen. Even as regards the capital invested, it is significant that within the single year of 1894, in which the Wilson tariff was enacted, the capital invested in Massachusetts industries decreased more than $13,000,000; and very naturally that decrease had an effect upon general business. It is, however, still more notable that the value of the product of Massachusetts industries from 1893 to 1894 decreased nearly $57,000,000, an amount equal to 10 per cent. of the total product. The decrease in boots and shoes alone was nearly $2,000,000. The decrease in the carriage output was $500,000. The clothing product fell off nearly $2,000,000; and a decrease in the production of cordage and twine to an equal amount was also noticed. The cotton goods output fell off about $11,000,000, a decrease of about 121⁄2 per cent. There was a decrease of $3,000,000 in food production alone and of $2,000,000 in furniture. In machines and machinery and metallic goods the decrease amounted to $6,500,000, a loss of about 15 per cent. The decrease in the production of paper goods was $1,500,000; that in rubber goods $4,000,000, a marked decrease of more than 60 per cent. The loss in woolen and worsted products for the single year of 1894 was more than $8,000,000, a decrease of about 18 per cent. Clearly this loss was severe enough to affect every house in the State; and that almost every interest and almost every branch of business within this Commonwealth was severely injured may be almost taken for granted. It is probable, however, that the severest stress came upon the wage-earners. As regards the total number of persons employed, the figures are significant. In the industries producing agricultural implements there was a decrease from 644 to 599 persons employed. In 1893, however, the advent of a panic caused a reduction in the number of employees generally, so that even in some large industries (like that of boots and shoes, for instance) there was a slight gain in the number of persons employed during the year. This gain, however, was small in any case and did TARIFF -Reduction, etc. - Continued. not affect the totals, there being a decrease of 6.22 per cent. in the total number of persons employed. In the payment of wages, also, there was a marked decrease. The 263,000 persons of Massachusetts employed in the different industries received in wages but $111,000,000; while in 1893 the wage payment was $122,000,000, the decrease in total wages being $11,000,000. The decrease in the average yearly earnings also amounted to more than $14 for every man, woman, and child employed, this decrease amounting to more than 34 per cent. on an average. Of course, many of the persons employed in 1894 received the wages which they received in 1893; but the wage reductions were so widespread and large as to form a serious percentage, even when spread over the entire wage-earning country. The tendency in wage payments may be noticed in a table issued in the report, bearing upon classified wages in all industries. From that table it will be seen that while in 1893 42,000 persons were receiving less than $5 a week, the number in 1894 had increased to 47,000. While in 1893 29,000 received more than $5 but less than $6, 32,000 were included in that classification in 1894. Also, 37,000 received more than $6 but less than $7, in 1893, and about the same number in 1894; but while in 1893, 189,000 persons received more than $8 a week, only 157,000 (or hardly half the entire working population) in 1894 received more than $8 per week. No. 368. TARIFF-Constitution of U. S. of America. Article 1, section 8: "The Congress shall have power:-to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, to pay the debts, and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts, and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States." TARIFF Chicago Platform, 1892, Democratic. No. 369. "We denounce Republican protection as a fraud, a robbery of the great majority of the American people for the benefit of the few. We declare it to be a fundamental principle of the Democratic party that the Federal Government has no constitutional power to impose and collect duties, except for the purposes of revenue only, 'and we demand that the collection of such taxes shall be limited to the necessities of the Government when honestly and economically administered.' We denounce the McKinley tariff law enacted by the TARIFF-Continued. Fifty-first Congress as the culminating atrocity of class legislation, ** * and we promise its repeal as one of the beneficient results that will follow the action of the people in intrusting power to the Democratic party." No, 370. TARIFF-Fathers of the Republic on. THOMAS JEFFERSON, MESSAGE NOV. 8, 1808. "The suspension of our foreign commerce produced by the injustice of the belligerent power, and the consequent losses and sacrifices of our citizens, are subjects of just concern. The situation into which we have thus been forced has impelled us to apply a portion of our industry and capital to internal manufactures and improvements. The extent of this conversion is daily increasing, and little doubt remains that the establishments formed and forming will, under the auspices of cheaper materials and subsistence, the freedom of labor from taxation with us, and of protecting duties and prohibitions, become permanent. "The remaining revenue on the consumption of foreign articles is paid cheerfully by those who can afford to add foreign luxuries to domestic comforts, being collected on our seaboard and frontiers only, and incorporated into the transactions of our mercantile citizens. It may be the pleasure and pride of an American to ask what farmer, what mechanic, what laborer ever sees a tax-gatherer of the United States." MESSAGE DEC. 8, 1801. "The question, therefore, now comes forward, to what other objects shall these surpluses be appropriated, and the whole surplus of imposts, after the entire discharge of the public debt, and during those intervals, when the purposes of war shall not call for them? Shall we suppress the imposts, and give that advantage to foreign over domestic manufactures? On a few articles of more general and necessary use the suppression in due season will doubtless be right; but the great mass of the articles on which impost is paid are foreign luxuries, purchased by those only whɔ are rich enough to afford themselves the use of them. Their patriotism would certainly prefer its continuance and application to the great purposes of the public education, roads, rivers, canals, and such other objects of public improvement as may be thought proper to add to the constitutional enumeration of Federal powers." TARIFF-Fathers, etc.-Continued. JAMES MADISON, MESSAGE DEC. 2, 1806. The first revenue law passed by the United States after the adoption of the Constitution was one prepared under a resolution of Mr. Madison. It passed the House May 14, and the Senate June 12; was sent to a conference, passed both Houses, and was approved by President Washington and became a law July 4, 1789. The preamble of this law recited: "Whereas it is necessary for the support of the Government and the encouragement and protection of manufactures," etc. This act provided for both specific and ad valorem duties. Among the former were: Boots, 50 cents per pair; tallow candles, 2 cents a pound; coal, 2 cents per bushel, etc. James Madison, who has been called "the father of the Constitution," was also the legislative "father of protection" to American manufactures. SPECIAL MESSAGE, MAY 23, 1809. "The revision of our commercial laws proper, to adapt them to the arrangement which has taken place with Great Britain, will doubtless engage the early attention of Congress. It will be worthy, at the same time, of their just and proudest care, to make such further alterations in the laws as will more especially protect and foster the several branches of manufacture which have been recently instituted or extended by the laudable exertions of our citizens." JAMES MONROE, MESSAGE MARCH 5, 1817. "Our manufactures will likewise require the systematic and fostering care of the Government. Possessing, as we do, all the raw materials, the fruit of our own soil and industry, we ought not to depend in the degree we have done on supplies from other countries. While we are thus dependent, the sudden event of war, unsought and unexpected, cannot fail to plunge us into the most serious difficulties. It is important, too, that the capital which nourishes our manufactures should be domestic, as its influence in that case, instead of exhausting, as it may do in foreign hands, would be felt advantageously on agriculture and every other branch of industry. Equally important is it to provide at home a market for our raw materials, as by extending the competition it will enhance the price and protect the cultivation against the casualties incident to foreign markets. |