Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-11-20
Tariff Revision.

the tariff should be revised down.
ward, and in the case of trust made
goods, the tariff should be taken off
entirely. The Republican platform
called for revision only. Mr.. Taft
In his speeches, said some schedules
needed lowering while others might b
raised without any harm. In this
connection the views of the protec-
tionists may throw a little light on
the tariff question, and as % the
necessity for lowering the duties. At
least they may give US some figures
which will be interesting reading:
"A publication OF the Anne. lean
Academy Of Political and Social Sci
ence Of timely interest comprises
two papers on tariff revision by a
prominent manufacturer of Rae inc,
Wis, Mr.. H. E. Miles, a vice pres
ident and director OF the American
Manufacturers Association and chair
man of its committee on Expert Tar
If Commission.
In one Of these papers Mr.. Miles
puts up a powerful argument IN behal
Of a permanent tariff commission. to
advise and report to Congress ass to
the 1000 items in the tariff law.
The scheme of a permanent tariff
commission of experts is so practical
and sensible that 1t must soon be
adopted. Mr.. Miles in his other pa
per describes how tariffs have been
put together and expose some OF the
denominations in the way of tariff
duties that have found their way in
to the laws. BY reason Of the haste
with which tariff laws are enact
ed-the present one was drafted and
debated and passed by both houses
Of Congress all inside Of three months
the writer remarks that I'VE have
had 100000 lawsuits on classification
and appraisals, ninetenths Of which
might have been avoided" by expert
classification.
The duty ON pig iron Is today near
ly ten times the wage cost per ton.
Not ten times the difference betwee
the American and foreign wage cost
but ten times the total wage-cost
of production. This is glaring in
stance of excessive tariff, but there
are many instances Of scarcely less
extortion in the duties levied. The
compromises mad elm adjusting tariff
duties when tariff bills are framed
are notorious and to great extent
unavoidable, in the absence Of per-
manent advisory commission. Mr.. M
Ter says: 81 went with certain data
to the man probably most responsible
of all for the present situation.
Said he: DO you think we don't
know? Take Senator for mstanc
He held up the Dingley bill till we
gave him and his pals a wholly m-
warranted tariff on borax worth to
them over million dollars in money.
We had to have his vote. And so it
Is that Nevada borax, the most cas-
lily mined in the best deposit in the
world, is protected against inferior
foreign deposits, and that the re-
tail price of borax in England is z12
cents a pound, while in the United
States it is az cents plus the Q
cents duty, or TX cents. The Sen
ator quickly sold the mines to an
English syndicate for u million dol
lars"
II is unnecessary to quote further
from a paper containing numerous Sill
liar exposes Of extordnate duueS'
Mr.. Miles says: Although this pa
per is critical Of the details Of our
tariff laws, it is written by pro
tectionist, manufacturer and a Re
publican." He believes further that
protection "is the mainstay Of Our
economic well being"
With reference to the borax duty,
we might add that it is such a glar-
ing Inconsistency as to cause the
Kansas City Star, which ardently
supported Mr.. Taft to almost have
a fit.
Tariff revision is an issue Of the
first order, it remains to be seen,
whether or not the Republican par
ty will meet the issue in the in
terests of the people, or in the inter-
ests of the industries. We will wait
and see.