Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-12-23
TARIFF REVISION.
THE PROMISE WILL AGAIN BE
BROKEN.

o'SN@s~.~
Republicans Dare Not Risk Opening Up the
Question in Congress-The Postal Depart
ment Stands Pat With the Express Com
panies-Ssnate Has Agreed to Modify the
Philippine Tariff and Shipping Laws - The
Statehood Bill - Extravaganza in Printing
Pub. Docs.
From our regular corrcspondent.)
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec. ID.
1t is now quite certain that tariff
revision will get the temporary and
perhaps the permanent go-by. There
will be no extra session in the spring +;
it is every day more and more doubt.
full if there will he one in the fall.
Hale in the East and Cannon and
Fairbanks in the West are employing
all the influence and all the arts they
possess in favor of a " stand pat" deci-
sion, and the President is stoutly be.
hind them. He probably !orgets the
time when he was strenuous free
trader, and an active member of the
Golden Club. lie no doubt whispers.
Times change, and we modify our
selves accordingly. Are they unrea-
sonable in assuming that the late
election with its astounding majorities
was proclamation from the American
people that a tariff cannot very we'll
be too high for them? If, they argue,
the country wanted revision and
reduction of the tariff, would the PEG.
pie have gone into fury and over
thrown every candidate outside OF
Tammany and Dixie who advocated
free trade or even a tariff for revenue
only? If they take the bits in their
teeth, and run away with the contrap-
ton, will there be anybody to blame
except the sovereigns who are sup.
posed to be ON the box?
/ interviewed Congressman Cooper
yesterday. However, as there are three
OF him, duplication from Wisconsin,
Texas, and Pennsylvania, it is necessary
to explain it was the latter whom /
encountered in the lobby-Allen f.
Cooper, of Uniontown, a suburb OF
Pittsburg. "No sir" he said EN-.
phatically, ave don't want any extra
session, or any tariff revision. The
Pennsylvania delegation is unanani-
nous on the subject"
"You all think" asked, shat our
present tariff schedule is a perfect
thing?"
1--WE are not entirely sure OF that"
he answered, "but we are sure that its
imperfectious are trivial, and that any
attempt to correct them now, even by
the friends of Protection, would do q
great deal more harm than good. 1t
would rip open the whole thing; it
would precipitate a hot discussion OF
the fundamental principles; it would
encourage free traders and let loose
their Timber tongues; it wonld terrify
manufacturers and alarm their EN-. |,
ployes in every State. No; just you
say that Pennsylvania won't have a
panic if it can help it. And If this
isn't what the election meant, what on
earth did it mean?"
Leaving the question unanswered,
called ON the Postmaster-G General with
whom for many years l had had
newspaper mans acquaintance. He
had an immediate appointment at
Cabinet meeting aud referred me to
General Shallenberger, the Second
Assistant, for an answer to my ques.
ton. He said, Our parcels post with
Ia
Kong seems to work advantageously to
all concerned, and it will doubtless be
extended. The service increased fifty
per cent. last year. The value of q
parcel thus sent abroad is restricted to
$50 and its weight to four pounds, six
ounces. In our own country We rec
ommend this year, as We did last, that
packages not exceeding five pounds
each shall be sent for three cents per
We also urge that third and fourth.
class mail matter be consolidated at
the third. class rate-one cent for each
two ounces"
Replying to my further question
why the department did not urge on
Congress a general parcels post, 90 that
packages OF all kinds could be sent by |
mail instead of by express, the General
said 1--WE could not afford it. The
postal service would be swamped. The
reason why Germany affords it is that
Germany controls the railway system
and suppresses all express company |
competition. In order TO do the same
thing here we should have to organize |
a mail wagon service on all the free
delivery routes. If any OF our million.
aires think it would pay, let them
organize such an express company, and
see if they can make two per cent. or
even one per cent. on the investment.
In the merging OF third and fourth.
class rates we shall do all that can he |
afforded at present"
This is the entire answer of the ad.
ministration to the general demand
for a parcels-post service. OF course it
is inadequate. What Germany, France
and England can do for the accommo.
dation of their citizens, the United
States can do somehow. If express
companies are in the way, they must
get out OF it. And ultimately an ad-
ministration will be elected that will
have ingenuity and public spirit
enough to devise mail service which
will not limit parcels to four pounds.
and will accommodate the people least
half as we'll as the monarchs of Eu-
rope serve their subjects.
The Senate has agreed to vote on
Saturday on the bill to ameliorate the
conditions in the Philippine Islands.
by modifying the tariff and shipping
laws. Then the Statehood bill will be
pressed as unfinished business, to be
reached after the holidays. Demo.
Gratis will generally vote against it, but
will probably not filibuster. In favor
OF it is the obvious fact that not one OF |
the four territories has any chance of J
becoming q State by itself however
many statesmen they may boast who
"measure up to Congressional alti.
tude." We don't want any more Ne.
vadss.
l. \