Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-02-21
PEOPLE MUST ACT
POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO Sc
CURE TARIFF REFORM.
4 the President Calls Extra Session
of Congress to Deal with the Mat
ter, Put Pressure on Your
Representatives.

The extraordinary proposition of
the German government, which, it is
said, will be contained in the report
of the tariff commission which has
nearly concluded its Investigations
and agreements with the German tar
If experts at Berlin, that the export
price of products from that country
shall be fixed by the German govern
ment, will hardly be ratified by con-
gress. This ultimatum to Offset our
high tariff rates as a compensation to
Germany for acceding to us her mini
mum rates of duty for our products is
unlocked for and unparalleled, for it
virtually nullifies section 80, which
amends sections Z and IL of the act
of 1890, which provides the manner
Of determining the true value of goods
in the exporting country at the time of
export. There has been constant fric-
tion between German exporters and
our customs officials on the question
of value, and it is claimed that many
invoices of German goods are purpose
ly ~undervalued so as to escape part
of the ad valorem rates of duty. Hun
dreds of such cases occur every month
and the board of appraisers are con-
stantly increasing the valuation of
goods, which thus increases the duty
paid.
Such increase in valuation is what
the German government wants to
avoid by having this country agree to
receive her products at the special val
uation the German government un'
dertakes to provide. Such an agree.
ment cannot be made without con
grossional action modifying the sec.
tons of the present tariff act above
referred to. 1t will be impossible for
the present congress to amend the
law before it adjourns on March 4
for the whole question of tariff revi'
sion would naturally arise. 1t is pos
sible under a special rule to force such
a bill through the house of represen'
tatives virtually without debate, fol-
doubtless the subservient Republican
majority would agree to it, yet it will
he impossible for such a measure tC
pass the senate, where there is nc
such gag rule.
AS the present arrangement will
Germany to admit our products at the
minimum tariff rates expires on July
1, and it cannot be expected that al
extension of time will be granted
especially as congress has made nj
move towards tariff revision, it would
seem probable that the president will
feel constrained to call an extra ses
sion of congress Immediately upor
the expiration of the term of the pres
ent congress on March 4.
AS all the trusts and other inter
ests protected by the tariff will in the
ed before congress by attorneys ant
lobbyists, it is advisable for anyone
who feels the pinch of high trus
prices to inform their representative
and senators that they will expect re
relief by a reasonable reduction of thu
rates of duty on trust products. Ever
those representatives and senator's re
puted to be controlled by the trusts
and corporations are not entirely OBJ
livious to public opinion, if it is freely
expressed. The solid Democratic
membership of both houses of con
gress of congress can be relied upo1
to stand for a bill that will make
reasonable reduction in tariff rates
AS the Sixt;eth congress has a Repub
lican majority of 81 it will only require
% Republican members to act will
the Democrats to pass a bill that will
produce real reform of the presen
rates that allow the industrial corpoI
atoms to plumber the people by pres
=, ent high prices. What is to be feare'
is a bogus reform bill whcich viii
! patch up our differences with German,
and Canada but still leave the trust
protected, so that there will be no re
lief to the people from the presen
{ high cost OF living.