The Washington times., 1909-05-23
THE ECCENTRICITIES OF THE
WOOL TARIFF.

Senator Aldrich hurried into the
breach when Senator Deliver declared
that, within the purview OF the Gus
toms appraisers, rubber boots are wool
en- goods. Senator Aldrieh has concern
for the interests of the United States
Rubber Company, because it is one of
the illustrations of the fact that the
tariff IS largely a local issue. The
United States Rubber Company is or
gained in New Jersey, and its presi-
dent IS Col. Samuel P Colt, of Provi-
dence, a neighbor of Senator AIdrieh.
Senator Dolliver had charged that the
Rubber trusts tariff had been raised
IN the Aldrieh bill from 80 to 50 per
cent. He didn't mention that the United
States Rubber Company has ST. DOC, 900
capital stock and $lS,S0O,OO0 funded
debt; nor did he mention that it CON
trolls the Rubber Goods Manufacturing
Company, another New Jersey corpora
ton with So. 100000 capital and ST.
$4,000 funded debt; nor that it con
trolls the General Rubber Company.
with 100000 capital; nor that it con
trolls William Symington & Co., limited,
of London, an English corporation with
s2,5OO,O0o capital.
This interesting New Jersey corpora
ton, controlling the rubber business IN
this country and having a great English
branch which handles crude rubber for
It, gets so per cent protection under
the present law and gets it raised in
The downward revision" which Is now
80 merrily vending its way TO the
statute books via the conversational
routine of the upper chamber. Senator
Dolliver suggested that it didn't seem
very important to have the rubber tar
IF increased, for most of the things
made of rubber are classified as other
things, and as other things get higher
duties Erasers, for instance, get the
lead pencil tariff, and automobile tires
are manufactures of steel, having some
minor steel parts appertaining to them.
Rubber boots are wool, because there
IS wool in their lining. What interest
have they IN an increase from so to 30
per cent when at the custom house
they arc taxed, as wooden goods, Al
cents per pound and 90 per cent ad
valorem!
Senator Aldrich didn't exactly deny
this statement; he simply demanded
TO know whethe4eShy rubber boots had
ever peen taxed such a rate; and Sena-
tor Deliver opined that it would be
most remarkable thing to expect a
rubber boot to undertake to get
through a custom house which should
treat it 50 inhospitably.
But Senator Aldrich defended against
this by saying:
4The Senate Committee on the wool
sn schedule followed precisely the act
Of 1897 in every word; they have not
changed it"
s'That Is exactly what I am COM
planning about" replied Mr.. Dolliver;
and in truth he stated Just what every
body else is complaining about IN this
connection.
Mr.. Deliver demonstrated that the
present wool schedule genius dates
back to 1867, when the wool growers
and wool manufacturers got together
and agreed to have it high enough to
i've both the full protection they
wanted. To make it secure, they were
allowed to write the schedule in their
own words. II has been adopted and
resdopted in all the tariff ravisions
since with substantially no changes.
And that is what we are complain
ing about. The wool schedule makes a
suit of clothes cost $50 in tbs coun-
try, which can be bought in London for
from $l5 to SIS. This is no exaggera-
ton. The wool schedule needs revision
and modernization. Ii needs to have
its dark and unknown recesses explor-
ed. It needs to have the silks and rub
Der boots and furniture and other
things which it now protects, dragged
ont from under its too wide-spreading
folds of protection. The wool schedule
ought to be the wool schedule, not the
omnium gatherum Of excessive protee-
ton for ali sorts Of especially favored
articles.
The notion that the wool schedule is
somehow sacred because it is old, is
about as well justified as would be a
theory that the process Of bleeding
people for fever should be continued
because it has the authority OF ancient
usage. You can't strengthen either the
human system or the commercial sys-
teTn by the process of bleeding. The
wool duties have been preserved in
their ancient and sacred form so long
that they constitute one OF the proc