The Washington herald., 1906-11-16
Elephants, Ants. and Infant Industries.

| Elephants, Ants, and Infant Industries.
| Reluctantly. but impeled by a high
sense Of patriotic duty, we several days
/ ago directed the attention Of the Hon.
( Leslie Mortimer Shaw to an oversight on
I the part Of his hired hands at the port
Of New York whereby a certain Opulent
citizen Of the metropolis was permitted
to bring to these protected shores, duty
| free, consignment of a million or more
of foreign ants. which he purchased
abroad for the amusement Of his chill
dren. The customs officials at New York
were much puzzled at first and searched
hurriedly through the volumnous sched-
ules Of the Dingley law TO see what that
inspired and sacred statute had to say
about ants. Finding no mention Of ants
anywhere in the tremendously long list
OF commodities forbidden TO be brought
here 20 compete with our infant indus
tries, they admitted the ants without
taxing them, but with the reservation
that the case will be communicated to
Washington"
At that psychological moment Secretary
Shaw was swinging around the circle
shedding the light Of his countenance
upon vast seas Of Upturned faces that
were moved to storms OF admiration and
gratitude by his assurances Of how every
industry Of this country was secure as
long as the prentice hand of the Demo-
crat would not be permitted TO desecrate
q. single schedule OF the Dingley bill.
There is a clause in the Dingley
law which imposed a 20 per cent ad
valorem duty on animals not otherwise
specifically provided for"
Whether in Mr.. ShaW's tariff philosophy
an ant is an animal, plant, or a mineral
we have not yet learned, though if he
classify it under either Of these heads he
viii find that it is subject TO a tax in
the interest Of protection.
We are moved to these observati tions.
and not objurgauons. by the recent ex-
perience Of the luckless owner of four
elephants. When these pachyder1s were
brought into the country a year or so
ago, their mahout declared their vaIua-
ton at $500. Upon this basis he paid
into the Treasury Of the United States
the sum Of $1,200. He took them to Can
ada, and when a few days ago he brought
them back to the United States he de-
clared their valuation at $3.50. The Gus
toms officials at Buffalo assessed them AZ
$4,000 Their owner refuses to pay the
tariff On this valuation. and the govern
ment now has four elephants on its
hands, eating hay and enjoying life. In
vestigation by the viglant guardians OF
the protective tariff. every one Of whom
We dare say is a standpatter. revealed the
fact that the owner refused an offer Of
$4,000 in Canada for the animals. Thus
Mr- Secretary Shaw's troubles are multi
plying.
Elephants will soon form an infant in
dustry in this country. Some Northern
capitalists. being forehanded alwavs /
have purchased a large tract Of land in |
the Democratic free trade State Of Texas
and now have their agents beating the 4
jungles Of Africa, India, and the other
habitats OF the elephant with the view ~
establishing an elephant farm. As We
understand the standpatter. the bare In 1
tention 10 start a new enterprise in the 4
United States constitutes an infant I'm /
dustry. Therefore. we already have an 1
lnTant elephant industry to protect and 4
promote. Necessarily, then. the price Of /
elephants TO the American citizen win /
go up, although the American bred and
reared elephant may successfully compete
IN the pauper markets Of Europe Asia
Africa. and the islands of the seven seas
we approve heartily Of what Mr.. Shaw's
agents at Buffalo have done. and we hone
70 be aole to approve OF the Secretarv's
maj decision in the case OF the inported
ants Neither ant nor elephant appears
anywhere by name in the Dingley sched-
lies' but ihdubitably they were meant 70
be covered