The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-22
Would Have Changes Made in
Four Schedules of the
Present Law.
MEANS TO GET AT
SOME OF THE. TRUSTS
Steel and Metals, Hides, lass,
Paper and Pulp Duties
Need Revision.
By w, w, Jermane.

mont or the Car1H.
Steel and metals.
Hides.
Glass.
Paper and paper-pulp.
A lowering Of the present duties on
these, the president believes, would be
q general benefit to the consuming pub
lie. He would like also to see an appll-
cation of the principle Of the "max-
imum and minimum tariff, congress to
fix the minimum and to give discretion
to the secretary of the treasury to raise
or lower the tariff by executive order
within the prescribed limits.
This would permit the American gov
eminent to meet retaliatory duties i'm
posed by foreign countries and to make
special Inducements to foreign nations
to permit the entry Of American goods
st lower rates.
Steel and Iron Duties.
The demand for reduction Of duties
on iron and steel is due largely to the
fact we'll known that the steel railmak-
ers are selling to foreign consumers
cheaper that to the home market. Even
after adding the cost of freight, the
price to the foreigner is much less than
to the man in the United States. This
applies also to structural iron, and to
steel used in other ways.
There is difficulty presented in the
proposed removal of the duty from the
metal manufacturers like steel and iron.
It Is not e simple case of "swat the
show that 55 per cent Of the metal man
ufactures are made by Independent man
ufaeturers, and the presumption is that
they would be the ones to suffer most
by removal Of the duties from the
manufactured steel and iron.
The trust has $50,O00,0O0 or more put
away as a reserve fund to protect them
against any such contingency as the one
in prospect; they would be better able
to weather the storm than the proprie-
tors Of the small mills and foundries.
The question is, and the president is
disturb business at this time to expose
this IS per cent Of the steel and iron
industry to the competition Of England
and Germany.
Wood-pulp and Paper.
The case presented by the paper and
wood-pulp tariff is rather peculiar. The
paper-making industry is controlled alb
solutely, SO far as the United States is
concerned, by the combination Of the
two big concerns making the trust. AS
every newspaper publisher in the coun
try has learned to his cost, the paper
makers control the supply and fix the
price to suit their convenience. AnG
during the last two or three years they
have 'tput crimp' into about every
newspaper In the United States. If {
paper was making moderate margin Of
profit, the increase in price Of white
paper just about wiped out the profit.
pulp would have the effect, first, Of open
ing up the great spruce forests Of Can
ada to our market and letting in tina
pulp without the payment of duty. Blu
it is known fact that this would onl,
increase the profits of the trust, sine
that nrOviHant tol 1a7
pains to get control, thru their Mr.. Oaks
of all the spruce forests of Canada. The
could make their paper more cheaply
and would still control the market. Til
situation might be relieved in part b
the protected list and permitting an
encouraging the importation Of foreig
paper. But the difficulty is that tn
American paper-makers are supplyin
not only the home market, but larg
percentage of the foreign consumption
Tawney's Relief Plan.
There may be some relief in the pla
of Representative James A. Tawney G
Minnesota, who has framed a bill t
let in woodpulp from the Alaska TO-
ests. In that country there is pract
cally inexhaustible supply of the spruc
timber which could be brought b
water to Seattle at very cheap rate
and made into paper on the coast b
Independent mills. Hitherto there h;
been a. law which prevented the impo
of this wood from Alaska to the Unite
States. If this legislation Of Mr.. Ta1
ney passes this session-as it promis
to dot has been suggested that II
publishers unite to start paper mill ,
their own to make up this pulp.
Duty on Hides.
The removal Of the duty on hid
or the reduction Of that schedu]
would, it is said, greatly stimulate Il
Industries in this country which me-
hides as their raw material. Ameri
leads the world now in the producti
Of shoes, but there are many 9th
forms of manufactured leather in viii
Germany and France are far superi
to us: It is to stimulate this line
manufactures that the free hides a
wanted. They would come in from A
gentine and South America and sol
from Australia.
The Glass Trust.
The glass trust is very offensi
monopoly. Practically all the gla
making is controlled by one combir
b naer na in Sney naGG efa nEg MANN ap
There is no getting away from them
the tariff, which is high, keeps out
foreign product. If the tariff on gls
were lowered or removed there wor
be some competition, and the cost
building would be materially chez
ened.
Only Four Changes.
The president does not ask for a
further tariff changes than these fe
schedules but he does feel that t
much should be undertaken. He
strongly opposed to any protracted
J cussion Of the tariff, as the inevita1
! tendency is to upset business.
\ would like to see the leaders Of congr
{ get together and agree on a bill to co,
these points, and then shove it tt
/ fast. ..-.......... u, ....,...s.t.
J The president will not call congr
together in extra session unless or III
the leaders get together. There m
be some reasonable prospect Of acti
He says he does not intend to call
extra session and then have the MI
bers start to fight. He does not w
the whole tariff subject torn wide OF
and will not have it if he can help II
The president regards the tariff al