The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science Volume 29 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 edition. Excerpt: ... THE TARIFF AND THE PRICE OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES By Charles Deering, International Harvester Co., Chicago. The tariff restrictions of the United States play an important part in the marketing of our surplus products. We have not grasped the old axiom, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." We build a tariff wall and ask European countries to take their walls down. Manifestly there is little justice in our demands. We have demonstrated to the world that protection of home industry is a good thing. If good for us, why not good for them? As a consequence, we find many European markets closing against onr manufactured products. Germany, which, up to the present time, has only imposed a nominal tariff, proposes to put into effect a tariff which will be practically prohibitive. The result is readily apparent --either the American manufacturers must stand the increased cost of marketing our products, or make the consumer pay for it. If the burden falls upon our manufacturers, they will be handicapped by the increased cost of marketing the goods--they must do business without any profit or at a loss. If the consumer stands the increased cost, we shall not be able to compete with the local manufacturers and foreign manufacturers who do not have a tariff wall raised against the admission of their products. This leaves us only this alternative--either quit the foreign field, or invest American capital in manufacturing plants on foreign soil. The new tariff restrictions which Germany proposes to establish are but an indication of the general trend of foreign policy in this particular. Let us consider the effect of our present tariff system upon our export trade in agricultural implements. Under the present schedule the German tariff on...