The times., 1897-03-17
QUICK ACTION Is DESIRED
business Men Express Themselves
Regarding Pending Legislation.

Regarding PENDING Legislation.
number OF merchants of Washington
whose business viii be directly or indirecti.
affected by n change in the tariff law
were asked yesterday their opinion upOE
pending legislation
Mr.. LothTop, of woodward & Lothrop
said that he had read the schedule bGt
has not had time TO thoroughly digest it
| He thinks that part Of the President's
message touching upon the need OF nlor'
! revenue to run the Government clear and
| correct in every way. Even the sus-
pcion that higher prices are coming viii
| stimulate trade wonderfully, and Should
the proposed schedule pass before July he
| looks for a tremendous revival of pros
| perity in al lines OF trade.
| Mr.. G. r. Keen, the tailor, on F street
says that higher tariff ON wool win not
| affect the volume Of his trade. Higher
! prices make trade better. and he is in
favor of Il high tariff to bring about
| this change.
| William e. Pond, the tobacconist, says
1 his business viii not be materially affected
| 10y a change in the tariff. The prices of
| several brands of tobacco are already adj
| vancing, and if the new schedule puts
4
! trade depends largely on prosperity in
other lines of commerce, and anytfin that
makes good times wiz be acceptable to
| him.
Afr. Moran, manager for the Robson &
Cherry Co, says that action and not sueges-
tion is what the country needs. The schedule
is all right if it will only be speedily
passed, and should it make prices higher
the volume OF trade would certainly not
be decreased, and might grow much larger
Mr.. f. Croker, OF Crocker's shoe store
on Pennsylvania avenue. says he is in
favor of protection, and although he has
paid little attention to the new schedule.
he is confident that any protective tariff
will stimulate business. Should prices 20
up trade Will be better and prosperity
speedily follow.
Mr. William Hahn, OF the Hahn Shoe
Co., said that the tariff matters little 10
the shoe dealers. He thought it would be u
hardship upon the poorer classes II the
prices advance Just now but full treasury
should soon restore confidence and cause
the return OF prosperity. Mr. Hahn said at
present there were more exports OF shoes
than imports, and the American manUfac-
turers were competing successfully with
the pauper labor OF Europe.
Mr. G. e. CornweIl, the grocer on Pennsyl-
vania avenue, thinks people bought sugar
quite as freely when the tariff was high
as they do now. He has not studied the
new schedule and does not know what the
immediate effect upon prices would be
should the schedule become law.
Mr.. 5. kann, of s. Kann, Sons & Co, /,
says lac has been too busy TO even read the
report of the Ways and Means Committee.
and can express no opinion upon the effects
should 1t become law
The manager for House & Hermann says
he has not read the new schedule. but
thinks IL VIII have little effect upon their
business
Mr. George W. Cochran, of George W
Cochran & Co importers OF Havana cigars,
said.
IN my opinion. If the new tariff Ievies
a duty OF 20 cents per 1 900 on filters
and So per 900 on wrappers, as is related
to be, the manufacturers, 10 keep up the
present standard Of their goods, will have
to advance prices about 8 per cent on all
cigars now jobbed at from $50 TO S35 per
l 900, and 10 per cent on all those now
jobbed at from $50 up. This advance as
a whole will not be immediate. but graded,
as competition among manufacturers VIII
keep the whole advance from being put
on immediately"
Mr.. snyder, of Snyder & Wood, tailors,
on Pcnns ylvania avenue, said that the new
schedule would undoubtedly advance the
price Of wooIen goods. He did not thinl;
that such an advance OF a few dollars on
suit OF clothes would affect the volume Of
his trade. He was glad that the cheap Eng
Iish goods would be kept out OF this coun-
try, as they had done great deal Of harm
to the American manufacturers
All of the merchants seemed pleased with
the Presidents message and regard early
legislation Of some description essential to
the speedy return OF prosperity. The mer-
chants who handle sugar plead ignorance
of any knowledge OF the effect or higher
tariff upon that commodity. All agree
however. that higher prices Will hardly
affect the amount sold.