Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-10-23
AS TO FREE RAW MATERIALS.


The advocates of tariff reform. who
have been stealing Democratic thunder
by wholesale OF late. have added to
their programme the demand that the
duty be taken off hides, and the Free
Hides League of the United States was
organized in Philadelphia last week.
It's object is to secure repeal OF the 10
per cent. duty on hides. There is
strong sentiment it was stated. which
is steadily increasing in favor of re-
moval of the duty. Speaking Oh TINS
effort of the leather manufacturing in
terests-which, by the way. arc them
selves highly protected by tariff duty
they do not need-the New York jour
nal of Commerce says that II Ought To
succeed. as other efforts to get the
taxes removed from the raw materials
of manufacture ought TO succeed eX-
cept in some cases where the necessity
of revenue justifies the retention of the
tax. In the protective system there Is
no justification for duties upon raw
materials II is quite untrue that raw
materials cannot be produced here in
competition with foreign countries.
Raw materials are the natural product
of this country -.
- Exactly. but how about the producer
of the raw material. and why should
he be excluded from the protective
system Is the manufacture % have
all the protection and the miner, the
granger, the farmer and the cattle
raiser to have none?
If il be true that we can produce raw
materials cheaper in the Uaitea States
than anywhere else on earth, it Is
equally true that we can and do manu-
lecture them here into finished pro-
duets cheaper than any other country
can do it.
In the Philadelphia convention there
was a division of sentiment among
leather interests as to the adj
visibility of demanding free hides,
since some of the leather manu-
facturers feared it might be an
entering wedge for the reduction
or removal OF duty OIL manufactured
goods. And therein IS the milk of the
tariff controversy. Every fellow 5
willing that the tariff be reduced on the
products of every other fellow. but he
wants his own protection untouched.
manufacturers who are underselling
their foreign competitors in all the
markets of the world. after paging
ocean freights and foreign tariffs, who
sell American made goods abroad at
one-half to ene-,hird the prices charged
for the same goods in the United States
where the tariff gives them a monor oily
are quite willing to have the tariff re-
moved on their raw materials-it
would be so much more money in the
trust Golfers.
The producers Of raw materials. how
ever. will have something to say in the
next Congress on this subject OF tariff
revision.
West Virginia is one of the greatest
producers Of raw materials in the
world. She is not asking odds of any
ether section or protection" from any
other country but when it comes to re-
moving the tariff protection ON the pro
ducts of her mines. farms and forest:
for the benefit of the great and highly
protected manufacturing trusts. hel
miners. farmers. foresters and citizens
generally would like to know first i
they are to continue to pay two o.
three prices for the MANUFACTURED
goods made from these raw materials
West Virginia is not asking tariff
fayors, but she will insist on q squar,
Zeal. If the tarin-for-trusts-on is t.
be reformed in the interest OF the con
sumner, she will insist that the consume
of the manufactured product as well g
the consumer of the raw material b
considered