The Tariff As It Is

14 The Tariff as it is, compared with those of which a double product can only be realized by employing double labor and capital, will not be. Thus Screws, Nails, &c. are cheaper than in the early part of 1842, while Log Chains are a little higher—these latter being made by a simple manual process, while the others are produced by the aid of machinery, requiring a considerable concentration of Capital. P. S. I have just received from Washington the following Table—from the Report of the Committee on Manufactures, by Hon. C. Hudson of Massachusetts. It is most conclusive : A list of prices of 23 different articles of Iron at N. York, with the fall per ct. from year 1840 to year 1844; by which it will be seen that there has been a fall of prices, notwithstanding increase of Duty: ARTICLES, Iron Anvils......................................... Bars, common English rolled............ Bars, refined English rolled............... Bars, American refined....................... Bars, Swedes, hammered................. . Blooms, American................. . ......... . Hoops, from % to 3 inches wide...... Nails, wrought.............................. Nails, cut........................................... . Nail Rods, slit....... . ............................ Pigs.................. ; Braziers’ Rods 3-16 to 8-16 of an inch. Sheets, average thickness.................. Scythes.................. ............................. Shovels................. ............................... . .pr. lb. .pr. ton. .pr. ulb. .pr. ton. Jan. 1840. JO AJ 93 75 90 91 25 60 14150 11% 5% 115 35 25 .pr. lb. ,pr. doz. Rolled for bands, from %><% to 4>4%.pr. ton. Spikes...................................... pr. lb. Tacks, 2% to 16 oz. to the M.............. “ Tacks, exceeding 16 oz. to the M....... “ Brads from % to 2 inches....................pr. M. Wire, not exceeding No 14............... pr. lb. Wire exceeding No. 14........................ “ Axes, heavy........................ pr. doz. 131 13 10 122 5% 18 8 13 8 18% July, 1840. \ 9% 66 25 88 75 87 50 81 25 55 130 . ! 111 25 33 121 13% 10 113 50 15 13 7% 18 Jan. 1841. 9% 71 25 87 50 85 86 25 52 50 113 11% 5% 111 25 32 50 107 5% 12 50 9 50 99 50 6% 7% 15 13 17 75 July, 1841. 8% 63 75 81 75 80 81 25 50 113 11% 5% 108 75 31 75 107 5% 12 50 9 99 50 la 13 Jan. 1842. 8% 52 50 76 25 77 50 81 25 50 113 10% 5% 106 50 31 107 5 12 50 9 99 50 15 13 15 75 July, 1842. 51 2a 67 50 62 50 77 50 44 100 50 95 24 9 3% Jan. 1843. 8% 53 75 67 50 65 . 77 50 47 50 108 50 82 50 n 9 < 7 25 77 50 6 6% 15^ 95 25 9 3% July, 1843. Jan. 1844. Fai P.c 53 75 67 50" 67 50 72 50 47 50 102 50 9 4 67 50 67 50 72 50 52 50 105 83 50 5 9 7 25 77 50 6 ,5 10 ■ 13 50 95 26 87 50 9 7 SB 82 50 6 1F 7 6% 12 13 95 9 4% 27 50 87 50 4% 9 7 25 82 50 & 13 10 25 28 25 20 11 25 17 19 17 22 33 13 30 27 32 25 41 33 40 17 36 27 XXII. Pins. - Pins were first made in this country to any considerable extent but a few years since, and the manufacture had not attained any strength or stability until the present Tariff was enacted. Our markets were previously supplied with Pins from England, and an American manufactory, (I think the first ever established,) which had been nine years in existence, made its first dividend of two and a half per cent, a year ago. When American Pins first came in quantities into this market, they were met by the agent of the British makers, who offered to sell at any price to forestall the demand, and starve them out. Backed by abundant capital, and acting for men who had made large sums by their American business and naturally wished to keep it, he would doubtless have succeeded, but for the timely enactment of the Tariff of 1842, which levied, instead of twenty per cent, a duty of twenty cents per pound on pins in the lump, or forty cents per 5,000 (equivalent to a pound) on paper or package pins. Fortified by this, the business of pin-making in this country has been sustained and extended until now the home product is fully equal to the demand, and the price (70 cents per pound) lower than ever be. fore. So low is it that one of our countrymen, who has invented a machine for sticking pins on papers, on sending over to England to learn at what price he could there obtain the pins, intending to stick them on papers for this market, was surprised to learn that he could buy American solid-beaded pins on papers as cheap as he could buy Pins in bulk er bimcb (pound pins) in England. At this moment, our People are supplied with pins from their own factories cheaper than any other People on the globe are supplied." Would this be possible with our workshops in Europe 1 —I must pass over minor items, since thw space allotted me is so nearly exhausted, and it is deemed essential that all the prominent features of the two Tariffs should be presented. The reader will easily, in the light of the principles already illustrated, the facts already adduced make his comments on the compared or con- ’trasted sections which follow. A few words only of commentary will be given where they seem to be imperatively required. XXIII. Glass and Glass Ware. The present Tariff imposes on every descrip, tion of Glass rivaled in this Country stringent specific duties, as follows: Window Glass—Cylinder. Not over 8 by 10 in. 2 c. p. sq. Over 8 by 10,2% to 10 c. do. Plate Glass. 5 to 12 c. do. Over 22 by 14 in. 30 per cent. Cut Glass, 24 to 45 cts per lb. Moulded or Pressed, 4 to 12 c. Vials, $1.75 to $3 per groce. Bottles and Jars, $3 to $4 do. Porcelain or Colored, 30 p. ct. < China, Porcelain, Earthen and If silvered, 50 per cent. Stone Ware, 30 per cent. - xct Glassware’not specified, 25 p.c. All this the proposed bill cuts down to 30 per cent, on all but Moulded or Prewed Glass—Window, Chandeliers, Vials, Bottles, &c. 30 per cent. On all Polished Plate Glass, twenty percent. Do. if silvered, twenty-five per cent. China, Porcelain, Earthen Ware, Stone Ware, &c. twenty per cent, (instead of thirty.)—-Such are the contrasted provisions of the two bills. —-Now it will be cheerfully conceded that the duties imposed by the present Tariff on such Glass as is rivaled in this country are high—that they are clearly intended to give our own makers a decided advantage in supplying our own markets. But what has been the effect of these bn the interests of our consumers?—on the east of Glag&xto our PeogJeJ^ This is £ question of fact. I appeal to the Price CiP*ntr . . - The following are PnC%?er / 50 square feet of Glas^ a 20 per cent, duty a “uch higher PimaXvivc duty respectively: Jan. 1, 1842. Jan. 1. 1844. 8x10 inclusive, $2 10 $1 65 - - " 2 20 6x 8 8x11 10x13 10x15 11x17 to to to to to 10x12 10x14 11x16 12x18 2 40 2 70 2 80 3 25 1 80 1 95 2 10 2 25 2 55 Above 12x18 . - — ----- Reduction under the present Tariff, full 20 per cent. XXIV. Leather, Boots and Shoes, $c. The Tariff of 1842 enacts that Sixth. On tanned sole ex bend leather, six cents per pound

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