The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1901-11-01
PRICES AND TARIFF REFORM.
How n REIMBURSEMENT should lie Made
In the Interest of Home
Consumers.

We have the authority of Mr.. Hanna
that the protective tariff is too seieu.
tifically adjusted to be meddIed with.
Mr.. Hanna not being considered an
authority on the tariff. this infofma-
ton would not be valuable had he not
been boss of the republican party. So
Tar all that Mr.. Hanna has said about
congressional legislation has been at
tempted if not accomplished. so that
we are forced to believe that it is not
intended to attempt any tariff reform,
however much needed.
There is no doubt that Mr. Hanna is
technically right in his estimate of
the way the tariff has been adjusted.
and yet the way the present tariff was
built was very simple. Each manufac-
turing or producing interest, except
The ordinary farmers and planters.
was invited To come before the repub-
mean members of the ways and means
committee with a schedule that would
protect its particular Industry, and
me whole were then arranged under
the same schedule as the Mckinley
tariff had been. OF course there were
some who wanted more protection
than was given them. the rate being adj
lusted TO suit the general scheme. The
wool growers wanted a prohibitive
tariff, but their interests clashed with
the carpet and wooden manufacturers
who wanted free raw material. and
here was where the scientific adjust
ment came into play. 1t was SO with
some other interests.
The proposed reform of placing on
the free list those trust productions
that the trusts are selling abroad at
lower price than they are selling them
at home, would probably not affect
the revenues, for but few. Il any, i'm
portations are made under the pres ent
tarlf rate, and if the foreigners at
tempt to import when the duty IS
removed, there will be no revenue pre-.
duced. for there is hardly much likeli-
hood of the trusts allowing any impor-
tations, as they will bring down their
price TO the level where il would be un-
profitable for the foreigner to attempt
10 compete. The result, therefore.
would be that the price of trust articles
would be reduced to consumers just
low enough to prevent foreign compe-
tition and this would be the present
price less the tariff rate, about - per
cent. All these trust-made articles
would be reduced IN price, which would
about equal the foreign price with the
freight and profit added.
This should not much interfere
with business, except the trust mo-
nopolies, and the time for the change
from the high tariff TO free trade in
these trusts articles could be set far
enough ahead TO allow the iobbers
and retailers TO get rid of their
stocks in anticipation of the lower
prices that would prevail. There is
nothing scientific or mysterious about
this proposed tariff reform and there
is no reason why il should not be
adopted except that the trusts wou d
kick vigorously and threaten TO re-
duce wages and otherwise make all
the trouble possible. But give them
little time and they would adjust
their business to the lower level.
This is not ideal tariff reform, for
there are many other inequalities
that require adjusting almost rs
much as the trust monopolies. but it
would do for a beginning and a
tariff for revenue only with high
rates on Injuries and low rates on
necessities, which is the democratic
doctrine, Will follow when the peo-
pie demand it.