Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-05-31
HELP SAN FRANCISCO.
Republican Tariff Tax on Homes
Should Be Abated.

Should Be Abated.
HIGH DUTYON BUILDING MATERIAL
How the TRUSTS Plumber the Horne
Buildcr-The Farmer Feels the Bur-
den-Win the American People Vote
to Continue Taxing the Many For
the Benefit of Tewt
1t is proposed by the Democrats to
abate the tariff tax on building ma
terial for San Francisco while that city
is being rebuilt, but the Republican
stand patters are secretly opposing it.
as it will call attention to the %iniquities
Of the present tariff law, which fosters
trusts and combines and protects them
in obtaining and continuing present
high prices. The Democrats in CON
gress will unite in voting for rebating
the duties paid on all building material
used in the stricken city and would
welcome a decrease of the tariff rates
paid by the whole country.
The tariff tax on steel, glass, nails
and lumber is all protective of the COM
bines that aim to control the price and
avoid competition. The tariff III struc-
tural steel, nails, ETC., is from &c per
cent to 81 per cent, on common Win
dow glass from 81 to 115 per cent, ac-
| cording to size, and on plate glass from
40 to 40 per cent; on lumber planed
on II side % per cent, and up to 80
| per cent for flooring; on paints from
4S to 70 per cent, and ON linseed oil SO
| per cent.
There are other materials that are
used in building which pay an average
percentage as follows:
Brick and tile..... 80 Marble .......... SIS
Cement ............ 25 Wall paper ....... IS
Iron and steel Stone .......".... so
pipe ............ 30 Tin plates ........ SO
Lead .............. 50 Varnish ........... 81
Lime .............. "a
To refund these tariff taxes will be
an enormous saving to the home build
ers Of San Francisco and will open the
| eyes of home builders everywhere to
the tax upon building homes.
The trusts and combines have such a
firm control Of the market for most of
| the materials that enter into buildings
that they have increased prices since
the tariff bill was enacted fully 40
per cent on the average, and there is
| but little opportunity for competition
to keep them within reasonable bounds.
The materials that enter into q build
ing are in relation to it raw materials
just as much as pig iron is to a finished
stove. The question to be considered
by voters in electing the next con-
| gress is whether they will vote to re-
duce the tariff rates enough to induce
foreign competition, unless the trusts
and combines lower their prices to the
level to prevent the foreign goods from
coming in and underSelling them. If
the tariff on building materials and
other necessities were necessary to pro-
tect American workmen, employed at
good living wages, the tariff taxpayers
and that is everybody-would per-
haps bear 1t patiently until the plumber
ing system could be revised for the
benefit of all alike. But the tariff in
| creased price paid by the American
| people should only be enough more
than the European prices to the
difference between wages there and
here. The transportation charges alone
on such heavy materials are enough
protection in themselves.
The high cost of building material
has so increased the cost of homes that
| rents have advanced about % per cent.
| The farmer who builds a new house or
barn is compelled to pay about 40 per
| cent more for the materials, so the
increased money invested is a clear
loss to him and the interest on same
is virtually a yearly rent charge for
living in his own house.
There is no reason why this tariff
tax on building materials should be
continued, for the government collec-
ton from this source is less than 2 per
cent of the federal revenue The stand
pat argument that protection is needed
to protect American labor is, according
to their own theories, not applicable
to building materials which are raw
material to be manufactured by the
workmen into buildings. The only rea-
son, therefore, for this tariff protec-
ton is to enable the trusts to eXtort
enormous profits from every family Ell
Their in the form Of increased rent or
as a tax upon homes.
The natural desire of every one is to
own his own home, but the Republican
plan of protecting the trusts and COM
bines decreases the opportunity of q
largely increasing number Of people
from ever being home owners. The
home is the pedestal upon which dem
ocratic institutions must rest, and to
tax the home unnecessarily is to clog
the evolution Of the commonwealth to
its highest development. So let US
have free homes not only in San Fran
cisco, but everywhere, and not tax the
many for the benefit Of the few.
Trust
The tobacco trust is stirring up the
constituents Of Representative Hill Of
Connecticut to defeat him for renomi-