The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-20
SHAW TALKS ON
TARIFF REFORM
Secretary Of the Treasury Favors
Few Changes.
APOLOGIES FOR THE TRUSTS
AN APPEAL FOR ELECTION OF
REPUBLICAN CONGRESS.

7 1
rotary of the Treasury Leslie NJ
Shaw, who was the principal speaker
/ at Republican rally here today. Sec
rotary Shaw lived here when he was
boy and went to school here. and the
residents of all the section roundabout
came to hear him. He spoke, in part,
as follows:
| I have been quoted as opposed to
] revision of the tariff. / have never op-
/ posed REIMBURSEMENT of the tariff.
/ whenever congress reaches the con-
| clusion that the friends of protection
| are strong enough to conservative
| modify certain schedules so as to meet
! changed conditions, and at the same
1 time successfully resist the efforts of
! the opposition to revise the entire
tariff law, thus paral;zing business for
/ a season, / am in favor of it. 1 have
expressed some doubt however about
the wisdom of instructing by resolu-
tons or exacting pledges from candi-
! dates for congress, when the effect is
/ liable to precipitate protracted de-
bate with very uncertain results.
No Tariff Law Perfect.
Il have never seen the time. since 1
| nave given public questions consider
| alton, that i would not reduce the
1 rate on quite large number of items
nor when l would not increase the rate
| on other items. 1t is not likely that
| any member of either house of congress
| ever voted for a tariff bill entirely TO
his liking. nor is u probable that any
! president ever sis ned a bill that ne
| would not have changed in some par
| ucular had it been in his power. / am
willing to concede that conditions
/ change and that the old Morrill, bill of
the SOS, for instance when the coun-
/ ir1rrr ,1x-aa in he
appropriate for US now. but l will not
admit that the tariff is the mother of
| trusts. nor will l concede that a tariff
| for revenue only will destroy trusts on
any other theory than that a fire in a
wheat field will destroy Canadian
! thistles.
Profitable For Trusts.
The protective tariff is not the
mother of trusts, though it is the par
ent of conditions that makes it pront-
able for capital to combine and con-
genial for labor to organize.
The Republican party in my state
recently reaffirmed the tariff platform
of 1901. This has caused considera BILE
comment. 1t has been miSrepreSented,
not quite as persiStently, but in the
same way that the memorable speech
! of President Mckinley at Buffalo has
been misrepresented. misquoted. mis-
form was unanimously adopted both
years. 1t declared in favor of such
! changes in the tariff from time TO time
as become advisable through the prog
ress of our industries and their
! changed relations to the commerce of
the world Is there any one who is
not in favor of such changes in the
/ tariff from time to time as are advis-
able?' 1 am willing the jury shall be
polled on that proposition. So say We
! all. 1t also declares in favor of any
modification of tariff schedules that
may be required to prevent their af-
fording shelter to monopoly And
/ again we all say aye, sir to the prop
/ ositiOn. There may be quite d radical
| difference of opinion as TO the truth of
the implied admission that the pro-
! tective tariff does afford shelter to mo-
nopoly, but there would be no differ
ence Of opinion about removing il if it
did afford such shelter.
Favors Meat Monopoly.
"A few days ago, the butchers. in
! convention assembled declared in IA
vOr of abolishing the tariff on cattle
and meat to the end that this sup
a, posed shelter for the alleged meat trust
might be removed: but | am disposed
to think the good farmers of my state
would vote quite unanimously against
such an experiment. Suppose we take
the tariff off beef, and then suppose the
herds of cattle from Mexico and South
America are brought in by the hun
bred thousand. They viii find their
way to the stock yards and the butch
ers win be compelled to bid against
the packers then as now No, the re-
mOval of the tariff on livestock and
meat would not restore the butchers TO
business. It might ruin the farmers.
but the packers could stand it; for
nothing less than organized capital
could enter the import meat business
with packing houses in foreign coun-
tries, refrigerating ships and other ex-
pensive equipment. 1 happen to know
that at least one. and 1 understand
two. Of the big packing houses have
had men looking into the South Amer
lean field for more than two years. The
farmer, as il is, has ample reason to be
apprehensive.
Excuses Made.
Il have taken occasion to look this
matter up since reading these resolu-
tions. and | think l can find reason
for the present price of meat other
than the protective tariff.
I find that there were received at
the stock yards in Chicago in the one
month of July, 1902. $1,000 less beeves
and 10000 less hogs than in the same
month one year ago That means 1000
less animals per day.
The Q road alone. during the
month, brought from the southwest
where the corn crop was failure last
year. 1000 less fat steers per day this
year than last
let no one understand this to be a
defense Of the packers or an extenua-
ton of their offenses. a suit is now
pending against them. and If the allie
cations Of the petition are sustained
and that seems probable. they are 90
ing to have trouble, as it Will take a
very much more acute form than il
would 10 say TO the farmers of the
United States that their industry shall
be opened TO competition from the IN
limited range of South America"
The secretary appealed for the cleo
ton of a Republican congress. Then. -
he said. ''let the representa- tives from
| ali sections OF the country get togeth-
er. and If they can agree upon one or
a dozen items in the present tariff
! schedule that can be reduced let il be
done, and done without three months
| acrimonious debate