The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-05-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
President Roosevelt on Trust Prioes-Dis-
cussion of Comparative Cost of
American Goods at Home
and @Abroadl.

American Goods at Home
and Abroad.
"The protected hogs must take their
| hind feet out of the trough" 81 de-
mand the most favored nation treat.
ment for ourselves in the construction
of the Panama canal;n ssFor Amer
lean manufacturers to sell to for
eigners, at a profit, at prices from
one-third to one-half lower than they
| sell the same goods at home is not a
square deal to the folks at home. ~
With these characteristic and forceful,
homely phrases, President Roosevelt
has launched new issue, at least a
new one for the Republican party, and
there are strong indications that he
will gain the support Of the American
people and put some hide-bo ultra
protectionists TO confusion.
In his message to congress last De-
cember, the president wrote, ST will
have something to say on the tariff
question later on,'' but prominent
members of his party who were
permitted to read proof of the mes
sage before it was made public pur-
suaded him to strike out The sentence.
He yielded to their request, but then
endeavored to secure some sort of an
agreement from the leaders that pro-
vision would be made for readjust-
ment Of the Dingley schedules later
on. They had urged that agitation OF
the subject in advance would unsettle
business. SO he called them to the
| White House and asked what they
thought of calling congress 10 extra
session this spring for the purpose of
readjusting the tariff schedules. The
stand patters claimed that it would
require time for investig alton and th at
| the session had better be called in the
fall. To this the president agreed and
October was fixed as the date Of the
| special session. The president sup
posed. Of course, that congress would
make provision for an investigation
of the existing schedules during the
summer, and the senate did, but the
stand patters who control the house
failed to do SO and adjourned in fan
CLEO security, supposing that they had
defeated the president. But they
counted without their host.
When the Panama canal commission
came to purchase the large quantities
of supplies and machinery needed for
that enterprise they found that the
prices they would have to pay to.
American manufacturers were far in
excess of those charged by the same
concerns to foreigners. They could
even buy American-made steel rails,
of which they needed large quantity
to relay and double-track the Panama
Railway, for 500 8 ton abroad, all
charges paid to London, including
about Sc freight, while the price asked
in New York was s33 a ton. The prices
for structural steel showed q similar
variation, the American price being
about SO per cent greater. It was es-
timated that it would require about
$50, 900, 900 worth of structural steel
lat least the domestic prfce1 for the
canal, which amount could be bought |
abroad for $40, 900, 600. Two ships |
which were needed would cost 81 400, 1
600 if purch ased in this country, $780,
600 If purchased in France, and so on.
Had the French company been con-
STRUGGLING the canal, American manu-
facturers would gladly have accorded
them the full foreign discount, as they
would have any other foreign nation,
but they proposed to hold up their
own government for the full domestic
price, and the undertaking being a
most expensive one at best, the presi-
dent determined that the supplies
should be bought from the cheapest
bidders, whether American or for
eign. He demanded 'sthe most favored
nation treatment for ourselves This
means, of course, that the American
manufacturers will be favored, their
prices being as good, and that they
will get the business, but that they,will
have to bid as low to the United States
government as they would have to
we're the French or British govern
nent doing the buying.
The presidents decision has thrown
he stand patters into frenzy. Their
protected constituents are enraged be-
cause they cannot sell at top prices to
he United States, but more so be-
,ause the presidents decision will
prove an impressive object lesson TO
he American people; will demon
trate that it is not an occasional sur
Illus which the American manufac-
urers, and trusts, are selling abroad
it lower prices than the domestic, but
hat they are continuously supplying
be foreign trade, and at profit, at
rices far below those they charge
the folks at home, as the president
uts it. The stand patters believe the
resident has won victory over them E
nd that, backed by the great mass of
70 Republican party, he will compel
lem to adjust those tariff schedules
hich changed conditions have made B
30 high.
The president is himself gratifed at 4