Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-04-28
Shall snn Frnnolaoo suffor7

shall san FRANCISCO Suttorf
The proposition for a suspension Of
tariff duties on structural iron and other
building materials entered at tho port of
San Francisco, for the purpose Of giving
the distressed people Of that stricken
city the advantage Of cheaper prices in
the great work Of recovering from the
destruction wrought by earthquake and
fire, is meeting with the determined re-
eistance of the tariff "standpattem." "
Their attitude still Is. "The tariff must
not be touched" +" oven for the relief Of a
people who have been impoverished by
the terrible destruction Of their property
In the fmt place, there are grave doubts
Of the power Of Congress to discriminate
in the application Of the tariff law, for a
discrimination il would clearly bo, do
spite the maniiestly proper intent Of the
proceeding, TO permit building materials
for San Francisco 70 be imported free Of
duty. and at the same time impose taxa
tion upon such materials consigned 10
nll other cities Of the country. But the
"standpatters' do not stand upon tho
question Of an illegal discrimination. They
resist the suggestion Of tariff relief for
san Francisco for fear there might be a
camorous demand lrom tho rest Of the
country for a share in the benefits that
San Francisco would surely derive from
iroe building materials.
And so the probabilities are that no
tariff relief will be included among tho
helpful measures that the entire country
is SO cheeriully extending 70 stricken San
Francisco. The Steel Trust gave 100000
to the relief fund, but il must be per-
,mitted TO reimburse itself by taxing the
people of San Francisco for every ton Of
structural iron and steel that may enter
into the rebuilding operations. Tho half
cent a pound tax imposed by the Dingley
Tariff law must be extracted from the
people OF San Francisco, for fear that the
rest OF the country may demand like re-
lief. Foreign customers can get this
necessary building material at low rates,
but San Francisco must pay Dingley
tariff prices. What the Lumber Trust
has contributed for San Francisco's 3 relief
Is not recorded, but in the work Of 70
building this Trust must have is tribute
OF 50 per thousand feet on every foot Of
timber that enters into the detail Of ne
construction Tho vast forests Of British
Columbia conveniently located for prompt
and cheap transportation, can supply th'
demand for rebuilding materials, but Sar
Francisco must pay tribute 70 the Lumbe
Trust il was so In the case OF Chicago
after the great Ere in that city, for whi
Congress legislated suspension of tarif
duties on building materials for th
benefit Of the hre sufferers, the Michigan
lumber dealers were quick ito have th
bill amended, before It's final passage, b,
emitting lumber from It's exemption.
The main cause of the opposition of tn
"standpatters" is that the question Of re
lieving San Francisco Of the burden O
tariff taxation upon building material
will not stay confined to San Francisco
The benefits that such change woul
undoubtedly confer upon that city woul
challenge the attention Of the rest of IN
country II relief from tariff duties wi
prove Of advantage 20 San Francisco
the fact is thus made plain that tari
taxes increase the cost Of commoditiC
to the consumer. This would be a praC
tieal object lesson, showing more plainl
than could columns Of argument. that III
tariff is q tax, and that the tax is PAL
by the consumer. It would bring th
tariff issue before the country, right O
the eve Of general election inyolvin
the choice Of a new House of Repu
sentatives and Of State Legislatures whic
viii be called upon to elect members
the United States Senate.
There is small probability. therefor
that Congress viii grant relief to th
suffering people OF San Francisco throug
a suspension Of tariff taxation on buildin
materials. Tho Trusts control Congres
and the Trusts uill not consent that the
great source Of profit shall bc threatcne,
or eurtailed, even in the holy name
charity.