Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-02-13
REVISE DRAWBACKS
IN lieu OF TARIFF REVISION,
SAYS Sec. SHAW.
The Chicago Tribune, a Republic an
Paper, says 1t is Only a Dodge to
Get the Public Mind Away From
the Needed Revision of the Tariff
Law.

In lieu of the tariff revision, Secretary
of the Treasury Shaw has suggested a
revision OF the draw back law. The Shaw
plan will enable manufac urers who use
certain imported data ole raw materials
to enlarge their sales in foreign IN lar X ets.
The Chicago Tribune, referring to the
Shaw plan says:
As the law stands the man who can
show 10 the satisfaction Of treasury off.
cisls the quantity Of foreign dutitaole
materials used by him in goods he ex.
ports pets draw back OF SO per cent of
the duty. This is a simple matter in the
Case Of tanner who buys Argentine
hides and converts them into leather
which he exports. 1t is not a simple
matter with the shoemaker who may use
in each pair Of shoes he exports a little
OF the le ,ther made out OF those hides.
The process of "ideniffcation" OF that
leather is not an easy one.
But the Tribune demands to know
why the duty on hides should not be re-.
peaIed altogether, thuscheapining leath.
er for Americans as we'll as foreigners.
The Tribune says: "The only bene.
ficares OF the duty are the great packers.
1t was imposed to please the cattle
raisers; they thought it would help them.
They sowed and others reap" The Tri.
bune points out that the consumers are
the ones who need the relief and it de-
clares that the liberalization OF the
drawback provisions will not be striking
at the trusts and pools which sell cheap
abroad and sell high at home, while the
tariff is unrevised. The rail pool which
the Tribune says ia glad to cell steel rails
abroad at from SIG to $2l per ton. charges
$28 for them at home aud the Tribune
says that this IL ''because there is duty
OF $74S per, ton," adding. whatever
amount is taken off the duty will be
taken off the price asked for rails.
The Tribune concludes its remarkable
confession in this way:
THE question of drawback revision is
merely throwing tub to the whale. 1t
is an effort to get the popular mind away
from tariff revision. 1t will moi work.
The consumers are thu hiking Of their own
grievous. burdens due to certain mon.
strous features Of the tariff rather than
of the restrictions. 1T imposes on some
men who use imported materials in max
ing goods for export"
Those men who would be pleased to
see tariff revision confined to them. The
manufacturers who use alcohol are
anxious to have the tax taken off it when
employed for their purposes. They
would be content to have tariff revision
stop there. What is demanded, and
must be had, is revision for the benefit
Of the whole people and not of q few
anufacturers.
It is strange that republican papers
like the Tribune do not think of these
things prior to election day. The demo
cratic party demanded revision for the
benefit Of the whole people and not for
few monop0lies. According to repub-
lican argument the verdict returned at
the polls provides justification for the
tariff barons to demand new and enlarged
opportunities for plunderng the con.
sumers.