The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1906-05-04
THE EASTER BONNET.
Why it Cost Such an Enormous Price
Wives and Mothers Should Investigate.

Why it Cost Such an Enormous Price
Wives and Mothers Should Investigate.
The glories of the Easter season have come
and gone, but the wonderful creations of the
milliners' art are still with us for further ex-
hibition. The cost was great, but in most
cases necessary to keep matrous and maids in
good humor for that great consumation of
their hopes for distinguished appearance.
1t only remains to pay the bills of those who
bought upon credit, and to think over the
prodigious sum expended by the American
people. Over $500, 900, 900 in expended
every year by our wives and daughters for
millinery manufactured in this country, be-
sides the millions for what is imported.
The tariff tax on such articles of adornment
increases the price of millinery, more than SO
per cent. on the average, for the manufactur-
ers are protected by the tariff tax which is
collected on imported millinery, so that they
can add to the price of the home product
about what the imported articles have to pay
at the Custom House.
Every woman therefore is interested in the
tariff question, for through the protection it
gives the American manufacturer the cost of
hats and bonnets are increased quite so per
cent. If the present tariff rates on millinery
were reduced to 20 per cent. the women of
the country would save nearly one third of
what they now pay for such articles,
whether imported or made in this country,
Co. he of he ma ma fap turn1
goods would have to decline to meet the re-
duced cost of the imported article. 1t would
be tedious to give all the tariff rates on hats
and bonnels, or the many articles that go into
the hats and bonnets that are made up in this
country, but the tariff S tax runs from 90 10 20
country from which they are imported, so that
if hat cost $40 in Paris, the tariff tax on it
is from S. to s., and as the cost is often much
greater than this therefore the tariff tax is so
much greater in proportion.
The protectionists tell Us that we must be
willing to pay this import duty to protect our
manufacturers from foreign competition and
to protect American labor in being paid higher
wsges than the foreign laborer gets. The
Democrats claim that to reduce the tariff to a
reasonable rate would still give the American
laborer all the protection he needs, while at
the same time producing enough revenue from
Customs duties to run the government. Under
such Democratic system the trusts and com
bnes that control so many articles of neces-
sity would have to reduce the price they charge
and the present high cost OF living would be
greatly reduced.
Nearly everything We consume, or wear, is
protected by high tariff rate, and whether
we buy imported articles, on which the gov
eminent has collected the duty or similar
home manufactured articles, on which the
trusts, combines, or protected manufacturer
has collected the tax, By adding the tariff rate
to their profit, there is no escape from the
high prices which the tariff causes and the
American consumer has to pay the bills.
Wives and mothers should talk this over
with the bread winners of the family and urge
them to vote for the candidates Of the party
who VIII vote to revise this unreasonable tariff
law that taxes everyone numerically from
tie cradle to the grave.