Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-06-11
STIRRED TO ANGER
PRoTEcTIoNIsTs DENoUNcE TAR
IFF AGREEMENT.
Action Shows What Little Idea the
Trusts and Protected Interests
Have Of Allowing Any Re-
vision After Election.

The protectionists who manufacture
knitted goods, such as hosiery and
underwear, and who benefit 10 large
ly by the tariff preventing foreign
competition, have severely denounced
President Roosevelt for the tariff
agreement with Germany. This tariff
agreement with Germany allows the
German manufacturers to reduce the
valuation of the goods they export to
the United States to the actual cost
in Germany, which is below what the
United States government appraisers
would assess the goods for, and thus
the official value being decreased the
ad valorem rate of duty is also de-
creased. Before this agreement was
made with Germany the protection
lists, who controlled the appraisal de-
partment of the custom house in New
York, increased the value of import
ed goods beyond their real value in
the country from which they were
exported, and thus actually increased
the duties paid. The effect of the
new agreement is to allow the values
shown in the consular invoices which
have been certified by the German
chambers Of commerce, and other
commercial bodies, to stand as the ap-
praised value on which ad valorem
duty is paid.
Resolutions were adopted by the
National Association Of Hosiery
Manufacturers at their late meeting
at Philadelphia, which declared:
Whereas, The United States gov.
eminent has entered into a tariff trade
agreement with the German empire
which embodies important customs
administrative concessions. and i'm
portant amendments to the customs
administrative act.
Resolved, That the National AS
ISOLATION of Hosiery Manufacturers, in
annual convention assembled, earn
estly protests against the provisions
Of the German tariff agreement now
extended to other countries of Europe
as contrary to law, contrary to the
policy Of protection, injurious tc
American labor, unfair to the honest
importer, demoralizing to the Gus
toms service and in effect a materia,
and indiscriminate reduction in the
tariff, which should be made only
after hearings have been granted and
then only by the legislative branch Of
the government; and
Resolved, That the National Asso
citation of Hosiery Manufacturers
thank the congress of the United
States for not adopting the recon
mendations of the administration as
to the amendments in our customs
laws"
This denunciation of President
Roosevelt for making this agreement
with Germany contrary to law" an6
contrary to the policy of protection
indicates what strenuous opposition
all the trusts and protected interests
will put forth to prevent tariff re
vision after election"
The whole power of the organized
trusts and the'tariff protected monop
olists will be found aiding the re,elec
tion of Republican congressman, who
will promise to again standpat after
election. Perpetuating the tariff pro
lection allows these manufacturers tt
collect their share of the tariff, which
is a much higher tax on what the PEG
pie buy than is paid in the aggregate
for tariff taxes to the government
For whereas but comparatively few
goods are imported upon which thu
tariff taxes are collected, all the prod
ucts of the trusts are likewise in
creased in price in consequence o
the tariff preventing competition, 81
that it comes to this, if you are ricl
and can buy the finer and more cost
ly imported goods, you pay the tariff
tax to the government, while If you
are poor and obliged to buy tn,
products Of Jul protected trusts, 20,
pay the tariff tax indirectly to tn,
protected manufacturers in large
profits.
If the next congress is Republican
the same old standpat crowd will
control, and although there may be
shifty promise in the Republican plat
form for tariff revision after cleo
ton" how far, or how deep, the re
vision will go will never be actual,
stated. In fact, the Republican lead
ers from Secretary Root down to tn
standpat congressman have decide,
and announced that the plan is t
revise the tariff higher by addini
maximum rates on the goods importe,
from Germany, France and othe
countries that impose a high tarit
on imports from the United States
Under such a maximum and min.
mum tariff, the trusts would hav
more shelter than they now do, and n
reduction in trust prices could b
looked for. The protectionists whel
they tell the truth, as the hosier
manufacturers have done, show tina
no tariff reform is intended, but ratt
er a continuation of the standpat DO
icy that is now plundering us for tn
benefit Of the tariff protected man,
facturer, and supporting the Reput
lican party with campaign contribl
lions as the price for standing nat.