The Washington herald., 1909-05-19
Revision DOwaward-snd Toward.

Revision DoEawsrd-snd Toward
The Senate spent an instructive after
noon Saturday over a few paragraphs
o. the steel schedule. We say instruc-
tive. because the action Of the Finance
Committee as 10 these paragraphs reveals
clearly the deceptive nature Of a great
deal Of the downward revision incorpo-
rated in the Aldrich bill The iron and
steel schedule is. perhaps. the most thor
oughiy revised Of all the important tariff
scheduiss- Most Of the duties. though
not al. have been reduced. but the char
scter OF the revision = such as 10 suggest
that great care has been taken not 70
reduce duties IN any Instance where the
decrease VIII bring about an Injurious
reduction Of prices in the United States. '
20 quote NJ Aldrich; in other words. no
changes have been made that VIII prove
OF any advantage 10 the consumer
Saturdays discussion centered about
the paragraph relating to structural
steel. Of which such a vast quantity Is
used in building operations and bridge
construction. On this steel the Payne bill
assessed a duty Of thres-tenths Of a cent q
pound. which the Senate committee amend
ed BY adding one-tenth Of a cent Mr.
Aldrieh magnanimously con-ented 10 a
withdrawal o. this amendment, thus re-
storing the Payne rate and gaining a
heeting reputation as downward revi-
sionist. But there is a substantial joker
IN this same paragraph. by which the
duty CT structural steel advanced 70 a
certain stage Of manufacture is increased
over the existing rate by some S Per cent
ad valOrem. Il happens that the steel
on which the duty is reduced is that least
used, and OF which the fmportatious are
+he smallest; and the steel on which the
duty IS advanced is that most used and
most likely 10 be imported. Thus the re-
vision downward in paragraph II9 is
merely nominal while the revision up
ward is very substantial The effect OF
It win be. as 8Ir- Aldrich frankly ad-
mitted 10 make the users OF structural
steel pay a little higher price FOR their
MATERIAL that's all.
IN another paragraph there is re-
classification of grades OF steel 10 include
what is known as high-speed steel in the
manufacture of which ferro-tungsten Is
employed On these grades the Increases
in duty over those now prevailing range
from 2 10 20 per cent It is maintained
that these grades Of steel were unknown
Al the time the Dingley law was enacted.
being made under recently discovered
processes. ana the additional duty IS
alleged 10 be needed 10 develop an infant
industry" But II this is the case. why
should II be proposed to increase the
rate Of duty on one Of the important and
extremely costly raw materials OF this
new indUstry-ferrO-tungsten-ss09 per
cent? Simply because the producers OF
ferro-tungsten in this country think they
need little protection. and so the infant
industry VIII be taxed Or its raw nate
rial, the ultimate consumer VIII be twice
taxed on the finished product. and the
vicious circle Of wholly unnecessary. pro
lection viii be complete; unnecessary
protection. because both industries sought
70 be protected are making headway
against foreign competition. and the con-
sumer IS getting the advantage Of It. It
IS the same miserable system OF double
and compensatory duties that makes the
woolen schedule the despair Of tariff re-
formers.
And to justify this fresh extension Of
the protective principle a sentence was
read from the speech Of acceptance Of
Mr. Taft. who was elected 10 the Pres
idency under pledges a good many mis-
guided people interpreted 10 mean that
the tariff would be revised downward:
'ou the 9the- hsud. there are schedules Il which
Tie tariH 70; Sufficiently hsh to siTe the measure
Of T-oseei n which they should receive upon Repub-
iican prndpies. ard IS &c those the tariff should
p rzissd-"
Was Mr.. Taft thinking Of that gigantic
Industry Of which M Carnegie has said
hat the total abolition Of protective
|1uties would not seriously injure II?