Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-05-18
IS "PRoHIBITIvE
increasing Treasury Deficit
Alarms Republicans.
SCHEDULES MAY BE READJUsTED

MAY BIZ READJUSTEDl
High Rates Keep Down Goyernment
Revenue Receipts-They Also En-.
able Protected Trusts to Chnrpe
Extrnvugant Prices,
Tariff May Be Changed" is the head.
line introducing a recent Washington
dispatch to the New York Tribune.
increasing Deficit. Some Action Need.
ed to Swell Federal Revenues" These
are the words in which the Tribune
seeks to convey to it's readers the i'm.
portance of the dispatch and to empha.
size It's significance. They are not ex.
aggerated or misplaced. The dispatch
IS certainly important and significant.
Had it appeared in an opposition pa.
per it would naturally have required
some verification. The Tribune would
not publish it If it did not believe and
nave excellent reason to believe that it
is entirely true.
The dispatch states that "the consid-
cradle and steadily increasing deficit
IN the federal treasury is compelling
attention and that 'it is predicted by
members of the cabinet that the presi-
dent will take the matter up as soon
as he returns from the west" 1t is
rurther intimated that on the return Of
Senator Aldrich from Europe in June
ne will discuss the question with the
president n may call together the
nance committee of the senate.
The most interesting feature of this
report is the assertion that the deficit
will give increased impetus to the de.
mand for readjustment of the tariff
schedules. The president and most Of
the leaders Of the senate are convinc-
ed that the time has come when the
Dingley law should be readjusted to
changed conditions" The reasoning
OF MI. Roosevelt and those who agree
with him is thus summed up by the
Tribune correspondent:
"'Those who maintain that the time
for REIMBURSEMENT has arrived point to
the fact that when the Dingley act was
enacted it carefully adjusted every
schedule so as to afford ample pro-
SSNIAoA W 61IuC11Cdu manufacturers
and producers, eliminating the differ
ence between the cheap labor used in
the production of foreign goods and
the more expensive labor which is a
factor in American products and at
the same time afforded ample revenue
to the government. Now, it is main
tanned, the progress Of the protected
industries, the cheapening Of methods
Of production and manufacture and
the development of the several lines Of
industry have combined to lessen the
cost of production in certain instances,
and the existing tariff rate is therefore
p%rohibitive, with the result that the gov
eminent is deprived Of possible reve-
nue., while in some instances perhaps
the manufacturer is enabled to charge
a price for his goods out of proportion
to the greater wages he is compelled to
pay as compared with his foreign com
petitor. 1t is not maintained that there
are many instances of this kind or that
there are numerous schedules which
require reimbursement, but that there
are enough, if properly adjusted, to
overcome the current deficit"
The correspondent adds that "of the
senate finance committee Senators Al
drich, Allison, Burrows, Hansbrough
and Spooner are known to favor tariff
reimbursement" and that Mr.. Aldrich,
before sailing for Europe, obtained
from Senator German the assurance
that the Democrats would not %flibuster
on any tariff bill which the majority
might press, but, so far as they were
concerned, would permit it's passage at
the extra session to be called in the
fall.
The facts specially to be noted in this
remarkable statement are thai the high
tariff rates prevent the treasury from
getting r%evenue; that they are not sim
5 DIV protective in offsetting the assum,
ed increased cost of labor, but that they
are prohibitory; that they enable the
favored interests to charge eXtravagant
profits, safe from all foreign competi-
t ton, and, as a fair inference, when the
favored interests enjoy a practical mo,
nopoly in home production the tariff
strengthens that monopoly and tends to
: perpetuate it. These are the convictions
S of the president and of five-sevenths of
the Republican members of the senate
finance committee. No doubt the ia
vored interests take precisely the same
view in private. For that reason they
e will fight REIMBURSEMENT to theu utmost
y New York Times.
No sympathy For Them.