Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-19
REPUBLICAN TESTIMONY

MT o sane. unprejudiced person will
" question the desirability of tariff
Az revision, yet hide bound stand
patters" rule it off the course and ap-
peal to the people on the score of pros
perity to justify their senseless action.
A notable feature of the growing desire
for a revision of the Republican tariff
is the great number of leading Repub-
lican journals that advocate it. Even
the New York Tribune advocates the
measure, but puts in plea for delay
till after the next presidential election.
That paper says:
1t is apparent that the Dingley tariff
is now producing a larger revenue than
the country needs, and this condition,
though not embarrassing for a year or
two, should not be permitted to become
chronic. There Is no economic excuse
for collecting unnecessary taxes or pill
ing up surplus simply for the purpose
of distributing it among the banks in
the form of non-interest bearing de-
posits. A plethoric treasury invites ex-
travagance in legislation and the ideal
in fiscal administration is to balance
as nearly as possible national needs and
income. We can go along for year or
two with an ill-adjusted budget. But
some modification of our present tax
laws will be imperative by 1909 or 1910.
Public opinion does not incline toward
decreasing the internal taxes on spirits,
malt liquors and tobacco. But if these
two with an ill-adjusted budget. But so
are to be maintained the customs
schedules must be revised, both with q
view to undermining them and redis-
tributing the protection which they af-
ford with a view to decreasing customs
revenues. Thus both political and adj
ministrative considerations unite to sug-
gest the wisdom of revising the tariff
in 1909.
In the New York Times Everett P.
Wheeler sums up the case of the iron
and steel schedule and shows that 90
per cent reduction would leave hand
some profit for stockholders and greatly
benefit business by the cultivation of
possible competition. He then goes
on to say:
But, passing this, let us inquire why
wooden goods do not figure in the list
carpets worth s61, 1885, 433. We exported
to the value of $64,641 only. Why this
extraordinary difference?
The answer is found in the duty on
imported wool. On carpet woods the
duty is from to z cents per pound
about 40 per cent. Very little of this
heavy wool is produced or can be pro-
duced in the United States. The sheep
that produce it live in a climate diff
ferent from ours. Yet the manufac-
turers are compelled to pay this heavy
tax. They get it back from the people
who use carpets. But it kills the ex-
port trade They cannot compete with
the manufacturers of other countries
who do not tax carpet wool.
The manufacturers of other wooden
goods use foreign wool to mix with
American. They must have both The
duty on the finer woods is about 60 per
cent; of these we imported in 1905 over
los, 0OO 900 pounds, worth over $24,000000.
No tariff can keep out foreign wool, be-
cause it is of a different quality from
American wool, and manufacturers
need both.
So you may go through the list and
you will find that the principal articles
of American manufacture which are
exported are made from American raw
material. Repeal the tax on foreign
materials and you double our exports
The producers of wool and hides in
South America would gladly trade for
our American products if we would per-
nit. hundred subsidized steamers
to South America would not do half as
much for our trade as the repeal of the
tax on South American products.
Congressman Scott, ''standpatter,"
advanced an argument for his views
touching the lumber tariff in the lola
Register, and the Kansas City Star
answers as follows:
Twelve years ago the country was in
the midst of an industrial depression.
Aside from all other considerations,
this depression had a tendency to lower
prices. Just now the country is in the
midst of prosperity, brought on by
series of large crops and great indus
trial and commercial activity. Aside
from all other considerations, this pros
perity has tendency to raise prices.
Twelve years ago there was general
competition in both the wholesale and
retail lumber trade. The tariff was a
standing invitation to the lumber in
terests to combine and monopolize the
trade, but the combination had not yet
been made. 1t was made some years
ago, however, and since it's perfection
the trust has exacted every cent pos
sible from the consumers. 1t would
have been possible to form this trust
without tariff, of course; but at least
there would always have remained the
restraining influence of foreign compe-
tition, especially from Canada.
While the advance in lumber prices
has averaged high, the average is far
below the advance noted in the lola
instance. One reason why the cost of
all kinds of lumber has advanced is the
rapid consumption of the timber lands
by the lumbermen without making any
provision for replenishment of the
forests. If these interests had adopted
the conservative numbering policy, TAX
ing only natured trees and holding the
forests for permanent sources of lum-
ber the advance could not have been
nearly so great Instead, however, the
forest lands have been skinned" and
often have been permitted to burn,
destroying even the shoots and small
trees left by the wasteful lumbermen
and wood pulp makers. Because of this
almost criminal waste on the one hand
and lack of foresight on the other,
lumber everywhere has advanced-in
Canada az we'll as in the United States