The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-13
TALK OF The TARIFF LAW
WILLIAM FOTHE, WHOLESALE MER-
CHANT, SUGGESTS REVISION.
Sugar Refineries i'm the State of Mich
igan--A Commission Suggested
The Fall Trade.

81 as good a Republican as you can
find anywhere" said William Kothe, yes
terday, but l am forced to the conclusion,
after long observation, that our tariff law
needs revision sadly. Why, the State of
Michigan is just getting full of sugar re-
tineries and the consumer is paying every
one of them 81 barrel on every barrel of
sugar they manufacture. The refners pay
the farmers 81 a ton for beets, hire their la
Dor just as cheaply as they can, and, as
consequence, granulated sugar costs them
Sls cents a pound ready for the market.
They get just about 2 cents a pound more
than that. The reason they can do that is
because there is duty of about cents
pound on all raw sugars imported into this
country. There might be some reason in.
this duty if the farmer and the man that
works in the refinery and all other people
connected with the manufacture of this
sugar got their rake-off, but the man that
owns the refinery gets his beets as cheaply
as he can, pays his workmen just as little
as he can and puts that duty of cents
pound in his pocket 1t does look to me as
though it We're high time to revise some
portions of the tariff law, especially the
part that applies TO sugar.
Take tin cans" continued Mr.. KOthe.
The trust asked us to-day s.. a gross Tor
ly in putting up fruits and vegetables. If
there were a reasonable tariff on tin plate
and one that would answer all ordinary
purposes, the price on those cans would be
situation that has got TO be confronted
fairly and squarely, for il touches the fami-
lies of the country
II do not believe that it is possible TO re-
wise the tariff so that it will work out just
nc 2 fnf aH 70 do al "a
tive of Hibben. Hollweg & Co. My idea
would be to have a commission appointed
with power to readjust the tariff schedule
from time to time, as might be necessary.
There is no tariff enactment that works out
quite as its projectors intended. The de-
mand for certain articles increases and for
other articles decrea ses. and there
many other things that bear on the matter,
so that a commission, it seems TO me, is the
only rational solution.
In reference to the dry goods trade"
continued the same man, the demand has
been of a, general nature and unusually
active. The excursion rate last week
brought in quite large number Of people
and a majority of them were liberal buyers.
The market itself has strengthened some.
Cambrics have been advanced Il of a cent
per yard by the manufacturers. Several
makes Of calico, also bleached sheetings
have been advanced from y TO u of cent.
The local stocks are in good condition, show
ing quite large variety of new stuff in
waistings and novelties in domet flannels.
Inc demand Tor linens mas been quite good
and the foreign linen market is extremely
strong. Many lines have been advanced up
to from 10 TO ID per cent. There is consider
able doing in the way of knit underwear:
in fact, in knit goods OF all classes, espe-
cially novelties in Shetland woods and Sax
Ony wooden shawls."
Xxx
A trip through the wholesale houses on
Meridian street, yesterday. revealed that
the busy fall trade has set in in good ear
nest. Scarcely a place was visited in which
the prOprietOrs and employees were not as
busy as they could be- In many instances
the request for information as to trade con-
ditions was met with the hasty but cour-
teous response, I'VE are too busy to talk
about il "