Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-16


bring the republicans face to face with
the tariff issue in its keenest form. He
said it would give the democratic party
just the weapon it most badly needed in
Its fight against the protective tariff
system.
Representative Grosvenor's Views.
Representative Grosvenor of Ohio, lead
ing republican on the ways and means COM
mittee a lieutenant of Mckinley and of
Dingley in the preparation of the two great
tariff bills of recent times, and recog-
nized veteran of the party was in no genial
mood after reading the announcement He
said:
This proposition to buy ships abroad is
the result of our laggard policy in refer
ence TO the building up of the American
merchant marine. We have permitted our
merchant service to decay until we
have no ships, have no trained sailors to
man ships If they purchased abroad,
and We are wholly dependent upon foreign
ers We pay the foreigners 500 OOO, 600 a
year in freights, and the whole thing is a
disgrace to American intelligence.
Our presidents have never taken hold
of the subject with vigor They have con-
tented themselves with mild comment and
recommendation, but have not made prac-
ucal suggestions nor followed them with
the persistency that some other policies
have been urged
Here at this time the very yitals Of
the country are being stirred over tho
question OF lower railroad rates when our
rates now are lower than those of Ger
many and some other countries. 1 wish
that we could be as much interested in
the upbulldlng of our merchant marine
which is Il very essential part of the
relght-carTyins business"
What do you think OF the proposition
Grosvenor was asked.
do not desire to be placed in the at
tltude of a critic" he replied. / am a pro-
tectonlst. we have built up the policy
of protective tariff in this country on the
basis OF higher prices. Those prices were
higher because we paid our labor better
wages. People have become more cognizant
every year of the benefits of that policy
and understand the reason for higher prices.
The country would rather pay little more
for something that was made a. home, fur
nlshed employment for home folk anu gave
them better pay than their more unfortu-
nate neighbors abroad enjoyed
IF the government is to be the COM
plainant against the prices that are the re-
suit of this employment of American labor
at American wages. 1t will certainly fur
nish theme for some very interesting de-
lberations over the tariff
Gen. Grosvcnors remarks reflected the
views or other congressman who did not
care at this time to publicly express them.
dustries OF the country awake to the true
significance of the proposed intention of the
commission TO go abroad for supplies
howl of protest will come from mill men
all through the industrial section and that
Washington will be the center of storm
of protests that viii howl around the Of
iciaIs
The high tariff men say that 1t may be
possible TO head off the contemplated action,
but that the harm already has been done
in their opinion. by giving the revsionsts
and the free traders argument, furnish
ed by a republican administration They
admit thai it will be rather difficult to meet
the issue.
The Revisionist View.
The revisionist view of the case will be
that the high tariff people and the pro-
tected industries have brought the issue
upon themselves by overplaying their hand
1t Is known that the isthmian canal COM
mission have been confronted with prices
on steel rails, for the double tracking of
the Panama railway, several dollars a ton
In excess of the price of the very same
rails sold by the same American makers
in foreign markets The same is said to be
true of other supplies and machinery
That is revival of the argument of which
so much made in the last campaign
The republican campaign managers met 1t
with the statement that the goods sold
abroad at cheaper prices the surplus
products OF the mills, the making of which
enabled the mills to keep running and to
keep labor employed. The republican cam
paign text book for 1904, issued by the
republican national committee put Secre-
tary Shaw on record estimating that the
amount of American goods sold cheaper
abroad than at home was one-thrtieth of
one per cent of the total output of Ameri-
can factories.
The view was expressed in some quarters
today that the proposed plan of purchase
of goods abroad was an endeayor of the
canal commission to back down the Ameri-
can manufacturers in their prices, and that
barring the possible purchase of ship or
two as an emergency measure, the COM
mission would never put into effect the for
| eign purchase.
This view of the subject was discussed
| with Star man by the representative of a
western machinery firm who was in at
| tendance upon the recent railway congress
and still is in town dickering on some con-
\ tracts
Heaven knows" he said, I'VE do not
need any pressure to back down our prices.
| Competition among the home manufactur-
| crs will attend to that. Outside of steel
| rails, there are very few trusts In control
| of the supplies the government needs, and
| the American manufacturers are bidding
| down to the lowest margin of cost to get
| the contracts. ! know that We are isur-
4 4 flxrh