Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-02-16
FARMERS FOOLED AGAIN.
What Attorney General Moody's
Drawback Decision Will Do for
Home Consumers.
. WASHINGTON correspondent saw

A Washington correspondent says:
Free hides, free wool, free lumber
in a word, free raw and partially manu-
featured materials of every sort and de-
scription-are now at the disposal of
American manufacturers engaged in the
export trade as a result of the far-reacl-
ing drawback decision of Attorney Gen.
eral Moody"
This, says the republican Chicago
Tribune, is joyful tidings for American
manufacturers, especially in New Eng
land. They will return thanks 10 the
New England attorney general, who has
given them cheaper raw materials for
their export trade without making it
easier for their foreign rivals to enter
the domestic market.
The wooden mills can establish a for
eign trade, for they will have cheap
wool, but the duties on foreign woolens
will remain almost prohibitory, The
makers of woodenware can import
Canadian lumber duty free and make
cheaper goods to seld abroad, but those
made by Canadian manufacturers will
have to pay the same high duty. The
print paper trust can import Canadian
wood pulp to make the paperit sells out
side the country, but the duties on print
paper made in Canada are as exclusive
as ever The New England shoemaker's
export trade in patent leather shoes will
be increased, for he will get a drawback
on the fine leather he imports, but the
duty on shoes will not be changed. If
the Rhode Island and Massachusetts dol.
lar jewelry men who defeated,the rati.
fication of the reciprocity treaty with
France import any of the materials that
go to make up their brummagem goods
they will be benefited and the foreign
cheap stuff will still be effectually ex-
cluded.
The manufacturers will sing the
praises of Attorney General Moody, of
Massachusetts, and Secretary of the
Treasury Shaw, of Iowa, who have con-
strued away provisions of the tariff act
they did not like without touching
those they approved of. But there arg
others who will not join in the chorus
American consumers hardly can be ex.
pected to exult over something which
enables domestic manufacturers to sell
more cheaply to foreigners bat not to
their own countrymen-which puts it in
the power of some trust to gain a foot
hold in foreign markets while leaving
it free to exact monopoly prices from
American consumers.
The farmers may ask where they come
in. They may ask themselves how Sal
they are the beneficiaries of a protective
tariff when hides, wool, wheat andothel
raw materials they produce can be i'm.
ported free by manufacturers who ust
them for export trade. 1t may appear tc
the farmers that in spite of the imposing
agricultural schedules of the tariff they
are not protected except as to eggs
chickens and cabbages.
The revision Of the tariff by con,
struction may have consequences The
two cabinet officers did not dream of
1t may'set the farmers to thinking tina
the tariff is turkey for the manufacture.
ers but brzzard for them and that there
should be Il general revision by con,
gress giving manufacturers cheap raw
materials to use in the domestic as wei
as in foreign markets and enabling
farmers and other consumers to ee
manufactured goods at REASONABLE
prices by reducing considerably the du
ties on foreign goods and providin,
wholesome competition. Soon it may b.
impossible for Speaker Cannon to sa,
tr%uthfully that nobody in his district o
elsewhere is taking any interest in TIL
tariff question.
Messrs. Moody and Shaw may hav'
unknowingly inserted the thin end of
wedge which will split the republican
party on the tariff issue. The New Eng
land manufacturers who applaud thei
construction of the drawback law al
an insignificant fraction of the party.