Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-01-13
GREATEST NEED IS
TARIFF REVISION
lsidor Straus Declares 1t Would
Do Most of All TO Help
the Country.
TO HELP FOREIGN TRADE
Would Also Cheaper Prices to the
Consumer, Increase Manufacturers
and Enlarge the Govern
ment's Revenues.

New York specitr: These five specific
reasons were given by Isidor Stratus for
revision of the tariff:
1. Ii would cheapen the price Of COM
modities 10 the
2. 1t would increase the output OF
our manufacturers.
5. it would foster our trade with
other countries and increase our ex-
ports.
4. 1t would increase the revenue OF
the government from many articles
now practically barred.
8. Ii would smash trusts and CONF
binations.
II IL not merely as wholesale Inn
porter and retail merchant that Mr..
Straus has studied the tariff question.
He has taken d deep interest I'm politics
and given his support TO all earnest
endeayors TO bring boz a reduction OF
tariff duties that would beuSfh ms
people Of tic country. In giving his
views. Mr.. Straus said:
THE subject OF tariff revision w such
q vast one tina only a few OF thf: many
reasons for reduction of our duties can
be set forth in a brief Interview The
Dingley tariff Is so per cent. higher
than the Wilson tariff, and the Wilson
tariff was higher than any previous
one, even in war time.
Consumer the Victim.
Everybody recognizes now that the
consumer pays the duty in the extra
cost OF an aIticle. Take, for example,.
the coat that you are wearing. The
cloth cost a high price. because the
woollen manufactures IN this country
knows that ii could not be imported
from Bradford, England, without pay
ing 80 per cent. duty. Therefore, he
raises his Own prices up 50 per cent.
and makes an enormous. u~nwarranted
profit at the expense of the purchaser.
A reduction of tariff duties would
cheaper the price accordingly TO the
consumer.
Protected By tariff and combina-
tions, the product OF industries is re-
stricted. Safe behind 81 tariff wall and
reinforced by trade agreements, the
public derives none OF the bencfit OF
competition and has 10 pay the price.
Take away the tariff and many favored
industries would have TO get out into
the open and hustle like the rest OF us
Let me cite an example,. r. am In
formed that in the manufactures OF
woollens our factories are content TO
lag behind IN their methods and do not
feel compelled TO keep up to date In
machinery ard systems because they
feel SAFE III the SiicilcI Oi the lAFlUs
Competition has made others Of our
industries leap TO the fore and meet the
trade OF the world. Lower the duties
on woollens from present figures, ON
as high as Ito per cent, 20 Il more rea-
sonable figure Of IS to 40 per cent, and
everybody would benefit, even the mani
ufacturers themselves.
Lower Duties Would Aid Trade.
Lower tariff duties would Increase
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crease our exports. Nations which
would then send us. more of their goods
would naturally draw IN return more
from us. Suppose we had free hides
and leather. Our trade In boots and
shoes would increase enormously. IL
all the raw material that goes into a.
pair OF shoes could be purchased
cheaper, our home manufacturers
would be able to sell their zoe IA all
markets OF the world at prices that
would give them the trade. That is
but a single example of how our ex-
ports would increase.
There are today numerous articles
of foreign production hat are not
brought into this country because they
are barred by prohibitive tariffs. Every
student OF political economy knows that
too high a revenue duty defeats it's
purpose because the. price is raised be-
yOsa TIC rSzS.s tho SsssSsssSS.-- Pic
government then secures no revenue.
Lower the duties to "A more reasonable
point and the importations would I'M
crease enormously, thereby producing
large revenu
You nav asked me what would be
the effect ON trusts Of IA reduction OF
tariff. My answer is: IL would smash
them. Between n tariff wall ON one side
and a combination on the other, the
trusts are able to go on in security.
charging what prices they please and
safe from all competition. Knock down
the tariff wall and they would be conn
PEELED TO meet competition on one side
at least.
Allied to Rob Public.
Did you ever see q tariff bill In the
process OF making IL? Zach Interested
faction says TO the other: You help me
make my particular object safe from
all competition and I'll help you fix
yours THUS they are allied In one
great interlocked scheme to rob the
public. For the building OF q tariff wall
around his own private interest a man
joins in the robbery games OF all others.
Thus they become allies.
1T is for this reason that 1 have no
hopes OF seeing the tariff revised by it's
friends. To break a single link In that
chain would desnolish their whole struc-
ture OF favoritism. To do 1t would dis
rupt their party. There can be no re-
vision OF the tariff until there is :
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