The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-24
COMPLAINS
 OF THE TARIFF Representative W.C.LOYcr-
 ing Speaks. BELIEVES IN PROTECTION Says That Pr0hibit0ry Duties
 Are Inimical. The Massachusetts Republican Con gressman Discusses Methods of
 Extending the Export
 Trade of the Nation.
BELIEVES IN PROTECTION

New York, July 23.-The Furniture Asso~ citation of America, national orBaniza- ton of retail dealers, manufacturers and their representatives. began it's first am nual convention here tonight. The meet ing was attended by 200 delegates from all parts of the United States President William l.. Shearer. of Boz~ ton, called the convention to order. and William c. Lowering, Republican repre- sentative in Congress of the Fourth Mas sachusetts district, was the principal speaker discussing Practical Methods Of Extending Our Export Trade"
 Resolutions were adopted that 1t in ''the sense of the Furniture Association of America that legislation to relieve our manufacturing interests from the pres ent prohibitory tax on alcohol should be promptly enacted by Congress and that our laws relating to the payment of draw back on exported articles of domestic manufacture should be amended as pros vided for in the bnl introduced in the last Congress by William c. lowering. of Massachusetts,
 Congressman Lowering said, in part
 Tax for Revenue.
 'Tn all the years Of our history as nation, it has come to be pretty well established fact that tax for revenue on the lines of protection to American in- dustries had yielded fuller measure of public welfare than tax for revenue only, but 1t does not follow that the highest and most prohibitory tax is tha most protective tax.
 Tt is a fact that most of the industries of our country to-day are sorely in need of new outlets to the markets of the world for their products. The fact is becoming clearer every day that the pro- ductive power of the country has been steadily outgrowing the Consuming power and that our factories are being directly confronted with an increasing surplus oR products.
 This being the actual state of affairs. the question remains how can we increase our sales of manufactured articles in for eign nnarkets7
 .'The present drawback law has greatly helped to further the export trade In arr ticles made wholly or in part from ina- ported duty paid materials. so that the advantage of the drawback system are now universally admitted. It has been found. however. that the requirement. on the imported materials which duties are paid must be positively identified as having been used in the manufacture of any specific lot of exported articles on which drawback has been claimed. has operated to make the recovery of draw back a difficult and complicated matter.
 Lovering's Bill.
 MT. Lowering then spoEe m Iavor oI Q bill which he introduced at the recent ses- sion of Congress providing that in cases where the imported materials cannot he identified, drawback shall be allowed pro- vided that a quantity of material similar to that on which a drawback is claimed have been used in the production of the exported articles.
 MT. Lowering recommended an aruend- ment to our internal revenue laws go as to provide for a system of cheaper alco- hol for manufacturing purposes. The tax of $2.0S on each gallon of commercial alcohol he said, has operated to prevent its general use in this country and tp give the control of the worlds markets in articles in the manufacture which ale cohol is an important material in France. Great Britain and particularly to Ger- many, where there is a tax rate of only 56 cents per proof gallon of distiiIed spir- it's It 1 scertain. he continued. that a reduction of the tax in this country to 70 cents per proof gallon would sufficiently cheapen the cost of this important mate rial to allow of the exportation of many articles from the production of which our manufacturers are now entirely shut out by the high price of pure grain articles.