The Shoe Manufacturers' Protest

Fout hnndred 6f the Lëading uhoe mnnut'.ictniiTs in New England reoently unitod in signing tlio following protest againi the oontmoance ot the present iniquituus nul oppresaive proteotive tarifl : The undersigned engaged in the manufacture of boots and hoes, desire to cali tho attention of their fellow-manufacturers and of tlic public to oertain faotfl ilIustrative ofthebearing of the present tariff apon their induatry. Tlic Legialatiun of other eountries has uimod to teoure t'or manufacturen and artiaana the raw materiala of their induatry at the cheapest possiblo ratea. Every oonntry puisuing thifl polioy lias rapidly devoloped its manufactures. Iho oppoaite system h:w generally prevailedin this country, and haa retarded the naturally vi;j;orous growth of our industries. Whatever measure of proaperity thuy havo att tin id, Ims beeninepite otan adverse and dopressing syatem of taxation, and is due to the intolligenoe, skill, and industry of our people. ïliesc havo onabled thoin to triuiiijjIi over lioth natural and artificial ditSculti s. Tin; tariff tax upon our loatlicr amounts to thirty-fivc per cent. From tlui earliest perioda of our hiatory, Aincricinishavo enjoyed saoh adrantagee in the manufacture oï' leather m have enabled thom to nndersell all ompeting nations. Thia tax, thereforei is totiilly nnneoosrory na a proteotive measureThe dnties on cotton and silk rubber wchbingart! thirty-livu and flfty per osnt, re8pootively. As few of these goods aro mauiifacturod in thia country, these protoctive dutiea aro benefits to the few and burdens to the many. ïho duties on lastings and serges are eighty-five por cent. Although these highly protoctive duties havo been levied forfoux yeare, they liave guooeeded in stimulatiiig ouly two ostablishmcnts to on gage in making these ttrtioles, and thatto alimited extent. Moreovor, tho quality oí thoir products are too inferior to Bupersedethe usc Of the importod goads. ïhe oombined taxes upon all tho articles tbrming the materiala of oni industry yield the govemment a revenuo of only $3,500000 while thoy inipoje upon the manufacturera of boots and shoes a tax of $18,000,000 - whioh must eventually bo paid by the weoren of theN necossary art irles. Tho direct conseqncnce of thoso proteotive taxis is BUoh an increaso in tho oost of our productsas prevent our nompeting witli tho manufacturen of boots and shoes in other countrios. Of late years, thero has been an incroase of twenty-Kvo psr cent. in tho productivo power of a given araount ot capital aud labor engaged in our mauutaoturo through provea mionmei y anii ne w prooeases. i nis gain, which should have resultad in cheaper boots arad shoes, h:is been oompletely nollified by protctive tases. The logisLatioii cf out own country has driven our producís trom the markets of Oanada, .Mexico, thc West Indios and South Amenos, wbioh we had enjoycd for more khan a oentury. It bis transferred the. manufacture oí our produota toa great degree to Canada, where it enjoya groater advantages, and i subject to fewer tinpediraonta in the prosecution of business. i'lius, our country has to tiiis extent lost the betiefits of tliis industry and giren her wealth to others, throogh a system of tariff taxation, profesas lly fram "I to tostel and encourage Amorioan industry, but which expela it trom America and increa8O8 the wealth ot' other nations. In additon to the direct innuciicc of the t a riff apon our production, the system'ot' protective duties indirectly imposes giievous burdensupon it byinoreasing the cost of our buildings, enginesmaehincrj', tools, and supplies, as well usrailroad trangportation. It raisee the prioes of house-rent, fuel, food, clothiníj, and ;!1 supplios, so as to ronder extravagant wages a necessity to our workmon. This pparent increase of vagos, however, yields no subsantiiil bcnofits to our workmen, because it ia ill consiinicíl in the unhanced rost of !i vitl. We believe thatanentire rcmoval ñfall protective duties would greaüy advance our industry, as we shoulcl then have 1 li ■ markets of the world in which to sell our producís, thus Largely iaoreasing the labor otnployed and tho profits of manufactnring. 'o, tnoroovcr, believe that tho enhanced wealth and comfort of our own people, consequent upon ;i change of sytem, would be evidenced in an increased consumption of our goods. A reductioo in the duties leviod upon thearticles used in our manufacture is demandod by the interosts of all capitalista and laboren ongaged in the boot and simo industry. The magnitude of our industry, which Ï largor in the valuó of its product and tho number of hands eroployed than any other single industry in the country, should insure a careful consideration of our reasonable domands. Wlúle the ron, tho ootton, and other interests aro constantly doferred to by our lngislators when tliey request Protoction, it will not appoar unreasonablo that tho boot and shoe industry should claim trom their fellow-oitizens and froin Congreso a caroful oonsidoratíon of the injuries ínflicted upon it by the polioy of miaoallod Proteotimi. and tho manifest advantages which would result, at least to the largest manufacture in the United States from its overthrow.