Cost of Fanners^ Supplies Increased. 61 



CHAPTER V. 



CONFISCATIOX EaTES OF DuTIES GrREATLY IlTCREASE THE 



Cost of Farmers^ Supplies. 



No term of weaker meaning than confiscation is ade- 

 quate to apply to rates of duties that have been imposed 

 for many years on imports of manufactured goods. In 

 recent vears the ''ad valorem rate on dutiable articles 

 manufactured ready for consumption" has annually aver- 

 aged about 50%. In 1903, the most recent record of 

 United States foreign trade that is at hand, the rate of 

 duty on cotton manufactures averaged 53% ; on leather 

 and manufactures of, 35%. Of the manufactures of 

 leather, gloves formed the greater part of value, and 

 these averaged duties of 53%. The imports of iron and 

 steel averaged duties of 32.15%. The rate here falls to 

 a low figure, because raw material to a large amount is 

 included, or manufactures not much advanced. Iron and 

 steel manufactures, ready for consumption, of skilled 

 workmanship did not enter the country to much extent. 

 They were excluded by duties of this size: "machinery, 

 not elsewhere specified," 45%; ''total fire-arms," about 

 the same ; ' ' total cutlery, ' ' 64% ; ' ' total wire : round iron 

 or steel," 41%. 



Earthenware averaged 59% duty. 



The average ad valorem rate of duty paid by manu- 

 factures of woolen was 91%; that is, before the im- 

 ported goods could be put on the Auierican market, a 

 sum nearly equal to the cost of their manufacture must 



