Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-23
The Presidents the Recipient
Of Many Opinions.
WAS WRONGLY QUOTED
SECRETARY SHAW SUGGESTS EX-
TENDING DRAWBACK SYSTEM.
Believes That Exporter of American
Manufactures Would Be Thereby
Materially Benefited.

The President is absorbing many views
on the tariff Between letters and tele.
grams on the tariff and congratulations on
the election the President Is forced to
spend a good many hours each day dictat-
ing answers to those who are so thought
ful as to express themselves to him per-
sonalfy. 1t is a big undertaking The
President Is now trying to clear up the
mass of correspondence that has been ac-
cumulating since the election, SO that when
he returns from st. Louis he will get an
opportunity to work upon his message and
to talk with his visitors.
The President talked with Eugene n
Foss of Massachusetts few days ago. Mr.
Foss advocated tafiff revision, and on Ieav-
ing the White House declared that the elec-
tion Of w. L. Douglas as governor of Mas
sachusetts was due to his advocacy of tar
IN revision and reciprocity with Canada.
The next day the President received long
telegram signed by business men of Boston
declaring that this statement as to the
election of Douglas was false in every par
ticular. The President showed this tele-
gram to some of his tariff revision callers
day or two ago.
Mr.. Foss Corrects Reports.
Some interviews were sent out from
Washington attributing to Mr.. Foss certain
expressions alleged to have been made to
him by the President There was SO much
talk all over the country about the reputed
views Of the President that Mr. Foss has
sent the following telegram to the White
House:
BOSTON, Mass November %, 1904
Hon. Theodore Roosevelt:
Have not quoted you to any one. Evil
IDENTIFY an expression Of some of my own
hoc yPr,11 ffr;I m
you. E. N FOSS."
Secretary shaw's Suggestions.
Secretary Shaw has been one of the
strongest stand-patters. While still oppos-
ed to tariff revision, he is not opposed to
the amendment Of few schedules. He
declines to mention any specific schedules.
and admits that while he has in mind two
or three which he thinks could be amended
without danger, he would want to investi-
gate the matter with care before he recon-
mended 1t, lest he might close a factory
and turn the men into the street.
He is very strongly in favor of liberal
izing the drawback laws and believes that
the exporter of American manufactures can
be materially aided thereby. He illustrates
the application of the drawback law to
food products by citing the fact that if tin
plate Is imported, manufactured into cans,
filled with American products and exported,
a drawback is allowed. But manufactured
cans Of tin or glass cannot be imported,
filled and exported, and a drawback allow
ed. There must be a manufacture from
the material imported in order to allow
the drawback. He thinks the drawback
right can be safely extended, and Its ap-
plication simplified materially.
Misquotations Corrected.
Secretary Shaw said today.
IT yesterday discussed with a company
Of newspaper representatives the question
of drawbacks. and authorized them to quote
me as favorable to much more lenient
policy. In one or more papers was slight
ly misquoted. Under the present law tin
plate can be imported, manufactured into
cans, filled and exported, and the exporter
will be entitled to q drawback; but neither
tin cans, nor glass Jars, nor barrels, nor
boxes can be imported filled and drawback
allowed. In other words, there must be a
domestic manufacture from the imported
material. Hides can be imported and manu-
factured into leather. and a drawback al
lowed when exported in the form of shoes.
II properly traced, but the application of
the law is SO complicated that 1t renders
1t in some instances imperative and value
less. / suggested several ways in which
the drawback law could be extended, but
did not intend to commit myself in favor
of extending the law to the extreme limit.
To illustrate. am not prepared to advocate
the allowance OF refund of the duty paid
on Swedish iron ore when stoves construct
ed of American iron are exported. l used
1t as an extreme case"