Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-12
MANY DIVERSE VIEWS
Proposed Red csion Of Tariff
on Iron and Steel.
WHAT THE low ANS SAY
RECENT REPLIES TO A CoNSTITU-
ENT'S INQUIRIES.
Extended Statement From Gov. Cum
minis as to Position of the Con-
gressional Delegation.

Senators Allison and Dolliver and several
representatives of the state of Iowa have
taken occasion to express their views
the subject of the reduction of the tariff
on steel and iron products in letters reply
ing to inquiries made of them by Mr.. Rob-
ert kissick of Oskaloosa, Iowa. These let
ters We're called out in view of the recent
remarks of Governor Cummins, in which he
said, speaking of the tariff on the products
of iron and steel, that substantially every
article named can be produced in this coun-
try as cheaply as in any country In the
word, and this after the payment of all
the compensation to labor that can be
wrested by the associated workingmen
from their employers
Governor Cummins, when asked whether
that was fair statement of his views, re-
piled:
Moines that all the articles named in the
iron and steel schedule could be manufac-
tured cheaply in the United States as
elsewhere. ] had mentioned a certain num-
Der of articles of the more common type,
and / said that l believed that substan-
TALLY all these could be made and Were
made in the United States cheapy as in
any other country 1t does not follow.
however, that we should admit them free
of duty. / said over and over again In my
address that whenever there was doubt of
uncertainty the American manufacturers
should be given the benefit. If L were a
member of Congress and could write an
iron and steel schedule, the duties upon the
articles named would certainly be reduced
from their present point TO from one-quarter
10 one-half of what they are now
Views of Senator Allison.
Senator Allison in his reply to questions
wrote:
Il can only say now in n general way
that it would not be wise to put all iron
and steel products on the free list. To do
would be to. abandon the policy of pro-
lection as respects of the most i'm
portant industries in our country. There
are undoubtedly certain articles included
in the schedule that can be produced in
this country nearly, If not quite, as cheap
Iy as abroad. This is shown by the fact
that these articles are sold here as cheap
~ as they are abroad, because of home
competition in their production. In many
articles of iron and steel there IS a sharp
competition in our country, which keeps
down the price.
when a revision of the tariff takes
place | have no doubt the iron and steel
schedule can be modified by reductions on
some articles included IN that schedule. 1t
must be borne In mind, however, all the
time that the present iron and sleel sched-
ue has been brought down to US through
changes for many years. The tariff of 1879
on this schedule reduced the duties on
many articles, the pfoouct or IRON ana
steel considerably below the tariff of 1888
and the tariff of 1894 made few changes
in the tariff of 1890, except that 1t reduced
the duty tin plate and a few other
articles OF iron and steel, and reduced the
general ad yalorem somewhat, but, in the
main, the democrats revising the tariff of
1890, maintained the classification and the
rates of duty provided for in the Mckinley
bill.
1T must also be remembered that under
ths Dtngiey bill, called, there were very
few increases made in the iron and steel
schedule, and some reductions were made
even below the duties provided for by the
Wilson bill of 1891, democratic measure.
So that, whatever there is IN this schedule,
both political parties are responsible for,
and whatever criticisms are made can be
made well of the democratic bill Of 1894
as of the republican bills of 1880 and 1897.
But l have no doubt that when the tariff
Is again revised changes can be made in
the iron and steel schedule providing for
reductions as compared with the present
law"