Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-25
Discussing the Necessity for
Lowering Tariff Duties.
VIEWS OF THE LEADERS
PROTECTIONISTS WILL SToUTLY
RESIST REVISION.
Proposition to Increase Governments
Receipts by Taxing Coffee
Meets With Disfayor.

In official circles it is considered cer-
tainty that the increasing deficit in the
treasury Will renew the agitation for tariff
revision, through the necessity of getting
additional revenue. The government is
rapidly running behind in it's expenses and
the deficit will grow rather than diminish
IL is believed. Senators and representatives
who have to do with ways and means for
raising revenue have foreseen this ap-
preaching crisis. and since Congress ad-
journed there have been many quiet talks
among the leaders.
The first proposition always when the rev.
enue falls under a high protective tariff
policy. is 10 lower the tariff and swell the
customs receipts through increased inn
portations of merchandise. That comes in
conflict with the advocates within the
publican party of the high protective tariff
Increased inportations mean competition
with American manufacturers. Their
gument is that the first effects of such COM
petition will be the reduction OF labor's
wages. Another set of republicans contend
that such reduction need not necessarily
follow and that labor will receive benefit
through lowering OF prices on commodities
The high tariff men are very much wor-
ried over the prospect Of a double -barie!ed
onslaught upon their t1riff; there is the
menace of the implied intention Of Presi-
dent Roosevelt to urge tariff revision in
the next Congress, and when the demands
of I'll reyisionistS are reinforced by the
crying necessity for more revenue the high
tariff men realize that they facing a
stiff proposition.
Proposed Tax on Coffee.
That accounts for the talk awhile back OF
putting a tax on coffee. Such talk was in
the nature of throwing out feeler. and it
evident that the sounding of public
sentiment was not favorable to the plan of
taxation. There loud cry of protest
from every quarter, because the tax touch
ed directly one of the necesSaries of life.
recent bulletin from the bureau of statis-
tics shows that the United States uses more
coffee than any other nation in the world,
and il may be said to he the stan OF NE
along with bread
The imposition of the tax would be felt
Immediately by the housewife in every
household. for there is no question that the
men who control the coffee trade would
seize the occasion of the imposition OF a i.
small tax to advance the price to the con-
sumer far in excess of the propoFtlon.
Democratic politicians were agog instantly
and were praying for no better luck 10
their party than that the republicans should
maintain high tariff rates and increase the
tax on coffee. They fairly rubbed their
hands in glee at the prospect of the
slaughter they thought they would make
in the next congressional election
Views of the Democrats.
The democrats think that tariff revision
is to be a strong card in the next campaign.
ANYHOW Thoughtful democratic leaders in
Congress haven't little bit of confidence
in the republicans effectively revising the
tariff at the coming session. They think
there may be readjustment. but they do
not look for a reduction. There may De
scalines here and there but there
will also be some revision upward
Indeed, such a policy is openly admitted
byf ba hiph
ing to endeavor to carry II into enect. Inc
movement for revision is a sentiment, un-
organized, something that is everybodys
business in general and nobody's business
in particular On the other hand the oppo-
sition is organized, compact, effective ma
chine with money and brains BACK OF IL
and working all the time.
Organization of the Protectionists.
There is an association of manufacturers
and allied interests. comprising in its mem
bership most of the great industrial insti-
tutions of the country. They contribute
regularly and are assessed upon special
casions They have officers, good
salaries employed by the year to watch
the game. They publish a weekly organ
and send out plate matter TO thousands OF
pa pers, all of this effort being directed to-
ward defeat ting tariff revision and main
tanning the ties of the existing tariff. All
of their work is done in the open, for they
are fighting for their business and for an
economical policy which certainly COM
mends itself to their interests.
The head of this organization stated to a
Star man within the past few weeks that
the high tariff men would see TO it that
if there is a readjustment it shall not re-
duce the tariff of any single article below
the point which the American manufacture
ers of that commodity think is necessary
for their complete protection against for
eign competition.
Confronted With Big Problem.
II is a great big problem with them, how
ever, this question of supplying the revenue.
Coffee taxation does not look favorable;
the brewers would raise terrible howl at
the suggestion of increasing the internal
revenue tax on their product and indeed,
are limiting of a movement for further re-
duction; the whiSkey men will not stand
an incI ease, the tobacco men say they will
Kill the party that adds to their burden, and
so ii goes
II is hardly probable that any kind of
a stamp would prove popular in time
of profound peace and with the customs
revenues reduced through the operation of
high tariff wall New York state is try
ing to add to her income by stamp tax
and hears the cutlery even though. for the
most part. it is a tax on gambling. Inevi-
tably therefore the argument drifts back
to expansion of the customs receipts,
through a more moderate tariff. and then
the issue is Joined with the manufacturing
interests.
1t promises TO be a great struggle, for the
struggle must come. and the general belief
is that 1t will attract more attention even
than railway rate regulation In the mean
time the treasury will be limping along with
its deficit furnishing a monthly object les
son of the necessity for relief
Leaders to Confer
1t is doubtful if the theory which has re-
Gently been advanced by Chairman Payne
of the Gays and means committee and
others closely related to the legislative
problem. that the growth of business will
Offset the growth of expenditures under
the present schedules, can much longer
be held AS soon S Senator Aldrich gets
back from Europe there will be quiet
conference on the part of the Senate lead
with the Secretary of the Treasury and
perhaps some House committeeman, to see
what steps should next be taken.
An estimate has been instituted at the
treasury of probable expenses for the next
four years. on the theory that average ex-
penditures can be reached with more ac-
curacy than the prediction for any partic-