Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-15
NEW TARIFF INQUIRY.
Senator Carlisle Explains What the Senate
Investigating Committee Is After--The
Actual Selling Price of Numerous Arti-
cles and the Rates of Wages Paid.

l
cles and the Rates of Wages Paid.
lrRoM STAFF AFFcoRREsPoNpENT.l
New York, May 1--we are pursuing an
entirely new line of inquiry as to the tariff y
said Senator Carlisle, of the Senate Finance
Sub Committee now in session here, "and we
expect to be able at the beginning of the
next session to lay such information before
the Senate as will enable it to deal intelli-
gently with the subject"
'Has this investigation direct reference to
| the Mckinley bill and its possible repeal?"
Primarily, but any modification of the ex-
isting tariff laws win not settle the question.
The tariff issue has received an immense
amount of laborious thought. 1t never will
be be settled. This because OF II, the rapidly
lating to taxation must necessarily change
with the growth and temporary necessities
OF the country; They can never remain long
fixed. Even the data upon which such laws
are enacted soon become in O measure obso-
lete. New information under existing con-
dftions must be gathered to guide the Legis-
iature t to correct estimate OF public neces,
after, and, as / said before, 1t Is In an en-
tirely new line of investigation. Instead Of
holding a series of public hearings, wherein
one set of interested people fatty contradict
after q vast amount of testimony, the yari-
Gus phases of the subject about where they
were before, We have started out TO getou
informatio at first hands and at the foun.
tain head. We are now going to find out
what the consumer has to soy.
The Committees Sole Aim.
"In the first place, and that is about our
sole aim here in New York, we desire to as
certain the commonly accepted designation
of numerous articles that enter into general
consumption. There are 200 or 800 articles
of this kind upon which we wish to get the
huctuating prices under former and the
present tariff laws, and before we start out
correct designation of the article should be
ascertained. We must know that the man
IN Boston and the man in St Louis are talk
ing about the same thing. This is what we
GAS soon as this information is obtained
we shall proceed to get the statistics we are
after. These are to be had only of the retailer
The prices at which these specified articles
are now sold, what they were sold at before
the passage of the present law, what they
brought last year, the year before and so on
pack as far as we have time to carry the In
curry, must be found upon the books OF the
dealer who stands next to the consumer.
Whatever they brought to the retailer Is
exactly what the consumer paid for them.
That is very simple. The accounts of a few
local merchants In any section of the coun-
try Will show conclusfvely what the ruling
prices on these particular goods were to
those who purchased the goods for use. You
Will see this reyerses the Customary tariff in; m
with the manufacturer and importer. By
this course we expect to reach more tangi-
bic results.
An Inquiry Into Wages.
"1n connection with this line of inquiry
similar investigation as to wages will be
made, and this latter will run over the same
periods as the figures on articles of general
use. To insure reasonable accuracy, it is
first necessary to classify the various trades
and grades of workmen, justas we must first
sne graae ana designation OF goods FSr or
worthless under a head that embraces alike
the man who runs en- elevator engine and he
who has charge OF the grand motive power
OF an ocean steamship. To find the relative
wages we must be sure to carefully observe
the various grades of single occupation.
"Of course it would be impossible to go
into every calling and every grade of that
as viii most fairly represent the whole class
OF wage earners. 1t IL at once manifest that
accurate statistics as to what men receive
for their labor and at the same time what |
sumption, must be of great value when the |
practical effects of certain laws are under
Allowance would have to be |
made for other conditions, the laxity or |
such other conditions are always to be con-
sldered in arriving at conclusions from sta |
tistieal premises.
What the Farmer Receives.
''There is still another channel of inquiry |
that will be followed and that, in my opin- |
ion, will in its results attract more attention |
than those inquiries mentioned This is as |
TO the prices of farm produce for q CORE |
spending period. Not the market price at |
the seaboard or in the grain pits of Chicago, |
Or in various exchanges throughout the |
country; but exactly what the farmer re-
ceived for his wheat, oats, corn, or other |
product of his farm. This will be obtained |
from the farmer himself When this is ascer-
aimed, we shall have figures for the first |
time that will enable Congress to fully un-
lerstand the reasonably exact relation of the
to the laws and the laws to the
consumer.
ITO get this information, we will have to
,oyer considerable territory, as it would
lave no value where not obtained on the
pot from various sections of the country,
md do some hard work during the heated
erm; but the possible results Of this new de-
,arture, as well as the interesting process of
'eaching them, are quite sufficient to nerve
my man to the task. We hope to get |
through in time to lay before the Senate |
statement on these three heads, |
hat will not only be of great service in the
consideration of present tariff legislation,
,ut of substantial value with reference to
.eneral legislation and operations of other |
nf In Cove ant;