New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-16
TRUSTS AND THE TARIFF.
SPECIAL PRIVILEGES OPPOSED BY THE
WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE
THE NEW TARIFF BILL TO BE FRAMED so AS To
,,o,,orr THE rRrEsr COMPETITION AMONG
DOMESTIC NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
FARMERS, INTERESTS TO BE
GUARDED.
nv rrrronApu TO THE rRrsuNn.1

y,v rrr.ronApu TO THE rRIbuNHI
wo.n,nrton. Jan. 15-"The fact that ia'so 90" ~
powerful trusts combinations synu .or,ous
an 70 control the output ana piiee' - rry
connn,odities exist and flourish IN Heo " - eour
land. and that like combinations sN, sa,,ate pro
S,,.,,or md prices of various articles whle" az" a.,
erected by the tariff or by Foreign oo'r Soroo
. sua,cient and conclusive answer u '''e Ia
,ho, a protective tariff necessarily encou,ae .nd
fosters such combinations. saao p'or ason,o-
..cu.rt,al member of the House OF hepieSe"'"
. -, no. long been a careful and thorousn
-.,,d.r, NJ economic subjects. In conversation w.
a tribune correspondent to-day. bu'. ne " q,
.qt il undoubtedly a fact that ma"" s a.. q
certain lines of industry who are pro'eo'eu 49,
certain extent against foreign col"peu aonh,na-
tariff and who have entered into such .o'.'. s
60. havs taken that fact into consideration anu
used II as a factor In their calculations IN lian
,nr tho new tariff. l trust that CHAIRMAN D'"e!
and his colleagues In the Committee OH ways CIV
Means will be on the alert and not in " '
rsta ~ duty at a figure which Will promote 'he ue
-. ~ sucb n combination discourage or pre-
vent the freest competition among American man
ufacturcrs. We certainly do not want a"o'"v
Sugar Trust tariff. or any other tariit Una. wiz
deserve to have the name OF any trust app"eu "
It,"
rh.r. 10 nrettv good reason to believe that the
roerhers of the Committee on Ways and Means
those of the majority. at least-fuiy sympa'iii~e
with the views above expressed ana that III 'iai'-
ing the bill they will be guided by a determination
TO guard so far possible against any provision
which would give special privileges to any person
ar combination of persons or hinder or prevent
free domestic competition The manufacturers them
selves who have appeared before the ways ana
Means Committee through their representatives or
in writing have protested that they not only 90
not fear but that on the contrary they desire ana
welcome home competition. and they Will be taken
at their word II present indica lions be regard
ed trustworthy.
It was noted during the public hearings that the
representatives Of both manufacturers and produc-
ers were repeatedly. in fact. constantly. reminded
Of the importance and necessity OF furnishing 10
the committee complete and accurate data in re-
gard to the cost of manufacture and production In
the United States. and also. so far as practicapIe
In competing foreign countries The Information
obtained the results of these inquiries will not
only be carefully and thoroughly sifted and sub
tected TO the closest scrutiny but all that relates
to foreign cost of manufacture and production Will
be supplemented by and compared with informa-
ton obtained from other less interested and per-
haps well-informed and more impartial sources
1t also noted prominent feature OF the
hearings that the representatives of numerous in
dustries took advantage of the opportunity vol
control production or regulate prices restrict
domestic competition existed among the manufac-
stances. as in the cases Of the manufacture OF
wood pulp and printing paper OF peey d ana Sesn
formed or were In process OF formation was stout
ly denied by the manufacturers and their represen-
tatives.
1t is understood that the committee has been
placed in possession of considerable information on
this subject. and will make such Investigations as
may be necessary in order TO test Its accuracy and
an attempt to form trust or combination In GER
tain industry was abandoned in its incipiency
shortly before the Ways and Means Committee be-
gan IT'S work. and that it will not be renewed.
Closely related to this subject and having an I'm
portant bearing on It, in the opinion of members of
the committee. Is that OF wages. The representa-
dustry. as we'll as every wage-earner who appeared
before the committee. dwelt on and complained of
the enforced reductions OF wages and the loss of
time and employment caused by the tariff legisla-
ton OF 1884, In the tinplate industry. for example
II was said by John Jarrett that the reduction OF
wages had amounted TO an average of p per cent:
and that If wages had remained In the scale of
1892 '96 not single American tinplate plant would
be in operation to-day. In some other industries
the average reductions Of wages. II was asserted.
had amounted 10 even more than q per cent while
In other industries 1t was less. the lowest being
q reduction Of 10 per cent followed by recovery of
per cent. In other words. the efforts OF manu-
facturers coal operators and other employees Of
labor TO meet the conditions imposed by the legsla-
wages and even more serious losses TO wage-earners
account of loss OF time or total loss Of employ
ment The bottle and glass blowers, for example.
said that the average loss OF had been Is
per cent, and Of time about SO per to say moth
Ing Of the labor which had been totally deprived Of
employment on account Of the enactment OF the
existing tariff law
These facts will undoubtedly and deservedly have
great weight with the Committee on Ways and
Means and II would not seem rash to predict that
In fixing rates of duty they will be careful not 10
Industry in which combinations TO control produc-
tion regulate prices and restrict domestic compe
titon have been formed and the wages of persons
employed therein at the same time reduced