Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-11-01
PRICES AND TARIFF REFORM.
In the Interest sf Hone
Consumers

that the protective tariff is too scien-
tifically. adjusted to be meddled with
Mr.. Hanna not being considered AN
authority on the tariff, this informa-
ton woulds not be valuab had he not
been boss of the republican party. So
far all that Mr.. Hanna has said about
congressional legislation has been at
tempted if not Accomplishment $50 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-
hcan, members of the ways and means
committee with a schedule that would
protect its particular industry, and
the 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 ad-
Justed to suit the general scheme. The
''OOa O"S1 "dutCQ
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, if any, i'm
portationsoare made under the present
tariff rate, and if the foreigners at
tempt to import when the duty is
removed, there will be no revenue pro-
duced. for there is, hardly much ikeli-
hood of the trusts allowing anyimpor-
tations, as they will bring down their
price to the level where it would be I'M
profitable for the foreigner to attempt
to compete. The result, therefore,
would be that the price of trust articles
would be reduced to con umers just
low; enough to prevent foreign compe-
tition and this\ would be the present
price less the tariff rate, about As per
cent. All these trust-made articles
would besreduced 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, jobbers
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 it should not be
adopted except that the trusts would
kick vigorously and threaten to re-
duce wages and otherwise make all
the trouble possible. But give them
a 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 as
much as. the trust monopolies, but it
would do for a beginning and a
tariff for revenue only with high
rates on luNuries and low. rates on
necessities, which is the democratic
doctrine, will. follow when the peo-
pie demand it.