The San Francisco call., 1909-04-11
WOMEN WILL KEEP
UP TARIFF FIGHT
Thousands of Signatures Pro-
test Against Duty on
Hosiery and Gloves
Battle Is Transferred From
House to Finance Commit
fee of the Senate

Though the proposed tariff on hosiery
and gloves has passed the lower house
OF congress, the opposition against it
in San Francisco has not been 1essened.
and all efforts will be concentrated in
fighting it in the finance committee OF
the senate The petitions in Hale
Brothers and the Emporium were as
eagerly signed yesterday as the day
before, and when the stores closed
over 5000 names had been signed to
them.
To the jobbing interests the action
of the house was not at all surprising.
They expected it when they received
Congressman Needham's communication
to their protest, and, fearing the out
come. Immediately began preparations
to take up the battle in the senate. The
whole affair during the last few days
has developed into a gigantic move
ment of opposition, not alone along the
coast but throughout the entire coun-
try. The petitions which are being
signed here are similar to thousands
OF Others in the big cities of the
United States.
PACIFIC COAST PROTEST =
San Francisco has been made the
headquarters for the movement of pro-
test aloAg the Pacific coast. VIC Nc
Carthy of Levi Strauss & Co. who is
directing it, declared that there would
be no slaekening in the opposition to
the proposed tariff until it was posi-
lively seen that the efforts were hope
less.
We do not believe said he, that
the proposed tariff Will go through
finally. We think that in the face of
the great opposition against 1t, our rep
resentatives at Washington will be
forced to pay some attention to us Do
not think for moment that we are
discouraged at the action of the house
in passing the tariff. We expected it,
but the bill is a long way from reach
ing its final stage, and we think that
in the next few weeks the continued
and determined opposition against a
tariff so manifestly UNJUST and unfair
will have the needful effect in Wash
ington."
The copies of petitions which were
sent out from San Francisco Friday
will, I'm all probability, be put on the
counters of the department stores in
the other cities on the coast on Friday.
According to adviees received by Nc
carthy the sentiment against the tariff
on these two articles is exceptionally
strong among the smaller businessmen.
RECEIPT OF MANY LETTERS
Il have received letters from various
merchants" said Mccarthy. asking me,
as the representative of the jobbers of
this section of the country, to leave no
stone unturned to fight the bill. The
last year has seen the profits of the
smaller dealers cut down pretty heavily.
and the possibility of a monopoly on
two such essential necessities as gloves
and stockings is by no means relished
by them. The argument that the dealer
will not suffer because of the tariff be-
cause he can add his profit to the high
prices charged him, and that the blow
viii eventually fall on the consumer,
does not hold good in this instance.
The retailers recognize that the in
creased cost of living has resulted in
tightening of the purse strings. They
know that their customers have just
a certain amount of money to expend
on living expenses. If the price of
gloves and hosiery advances many of
them will probably meet the advance
by buying fewer of these two articles.
The consumer will lose in getting less
for his money than hitherto; the re-
taller will lose in receiving less profit
because of. his fewer sales.
THE business interests recognize
that they Directly depend on the con-
sumer If the consumer is constantly
in a tight pinch to make ends meet,
business will suffer"
Copies of the letters received by Nc
carthy have been forwarded to the
California delegation at Washington.
While the tariff question is being
threshed out in the finance committee
of the senate the signing of the petit
tions will continue.