Milford chronicle., 1905-05-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.

mand the most favored nation treatment
for ourselves in the construction of thC
Panama Canal" ''For American manu-
facturers to sell to foreigners, at a profit
at prices from one-third to one-half lower
y than they sell the same goods at home is
a not a square deal to the folks at home. "
With these characteristic and forceful,
= = homely phrases, President Roosevelt has
= launched a new issue, at least a new ore
Q for the Republican party, and there are
y strong indications that he will gain the
support of the American people and put
4 some hide-bound ultra protectionists to
' confusion.
In his message to Congress, last Decem-
, Der, the President wrote, 81 will have
something to say on the tariff question
: later on, but prominent members Of his
: party who we're permitted to read proof
of the message before it was made public
persuaded him to strike out the sentence.
He yielded to their request, but then en-
deavored to secure some sort of an agree
mant from the leaders that provision
would be made for a readjustment of the
Dingley schedules later on. They had
urged that agitation of the subject in ad
vance would unsettle business, so he called
them to the White House and asked
what they thought Of calling Congress in
extra session this spring for the purpose
of readjusting the tariff schedules. The
stand patters claimed that it would re-
quire time for investigation and that the
session had better be called in the Fall. /
To this the President agreed, ,and October |
was fixed as the date of the special ses-
sion. The President supposed, 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
fancied 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 1
enterprise they found that the prices they
would have to pay to.American manufac-
turers 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 a large guam
tity to relay and double track the Pana- /,
ma railway, for $40 a ton abroad, all s
charges paid to London, including about
S6 freight, while the price asked in New
York was S3S a ton. The prices for "a
structural steel showed a similar varia- "
lion, the American price being about 80 a
per cent greater. 1t was estimated that -
t would require about $50 OOO, 600 worth II
If structural steel (at the domestic price a
or the canal, which amount could be te
bought abroad for 100000, coo. Two "
hips which were needed would cost Il
Il 100000 if purchased in this country, lie
i75O 600 if purchased abroad, and so on. &C
Had the French company been construct nj
ng the canal, American manufacturers do
fOuA4 klhAAl nave ulLQAuHu AAlGll lAlG PA
ull foreign discount, as they would have al
ny other foreign nation, but they pro- ~ ~
osed to hold up their own government da
Or the full domestic price, and the under ar
lking, being a most expensive one at t1
est, the President determined that the u,
lpplies should be bought from the th
heapest bidders whether American or en-
,reigu He demanded "the most fav- IN
red nation treatment for ourselves" " ,b -,
his means, of course, that the American th
manufacturers will be favored, their pa
rices being as good, and that they will
ct the business, but that they will have
, bid as low to the United States gov
nment as they would haye to were the =
rench or British government doing the bu
1ying. afc
The Presidents decision has thrown VI
le stand patters into a frenzy Their Of
rotected constituents are enraged be- S
luse they cannot sell at top prices to the en'
nited States, but more so because the [
residents decision will prove an i'm 5i5 I
ressive object lesson to the American sys
sople, will demonstrate that it is not an s
'casional surplus which the American
and trusts, are selling
broad at lower prices than the domestic,
1t that they are continuously supplying To
Ie foreign trade, and at profit, at prices
T below those they charge "the folks %
home, as the President puts it. The ~.
and patters believe the President has =,
on a victory over them and that, backed ~,
2 the great mass of the Republican Hi
lrty, he will compel them to readjust Sc
ose tariff schedules which changed con- TIL
tons have made too high. Fo
The President is himself gratifed at
e turn the affair has taken He believes tb,
all the protection necessary to make doi
, the difference between the wages Of aft
nerican workmen and the wages Of