Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-07-31
Where the Consumer Is Interested.

There is one thing more important
to the average man than the big
five free raw materials" more inte.-
esting to him than the maximum
and minimum" and which affects
him far more deeply than any tax en-
corporations. This Is the tariff on
wool and wooden goods. Man must
have food and cloths. The tariff
does not so seriously affect food. De
cause most OF our foodstuifs are pro-
duced at home and are little affect
ed by products from abroad But
p high tariff on wooden goods results
at once in igh-priced clothing.
In order to encourage" the wooden
manufacturers of New England. the
Dingley law placed a very high tariff
on everything made of wool. The
prices of all wooden products were
tut up at once. Less than two years
after those rates went into effect the
wooden goods trust was formed, and
few manufacturers seized practi-
cal control of the market. The tariff
on certain classes of alapacas and
Innings was made almost prohibit
tive. and one single factory has fenc-
ed eff this rich field for itself and
exacts such prices that il can make
dividend of 80 per cent in panic
year
Protected by very high tariff, the
WOODEN tops dealers. the yarn-spinners
and the clothmakcrs have been "charg-
ing all the tariff would bear"
g., s-. hr. Go
ate have shown unremitting zeal in
looking after their interest In the
revision" OF the tariff They have
done all they could to divert atten-
ton frcm the woclen and cotton
schedules. SO that they might preserve
these unjust rates. Now that their
efforts seem to be crowned with sue
cess, the wooden manufacturers can
net wait until the rates are Fixed in
law. but already have rushed up the
price Of goods. The cotton manu-
facturers share their enthusiasm and
have put up prices on the strength
OF what they expect to get
The whole country knows now. be-
fore these schedules are adopted, that
| If they are not changed the prices
Of clothing viii be much higher. The
clothing manufacturers have given
warning that sI0 suit will cost sl2.-
50. $40 suit will cost s25. and that
| figures on the more moderate-priccd
clothing win be marked up at least
25 per cent. Yet the tariff con-
fcrccs arc making no move toward
remedyirg the injustice. The wooler
and cotton goods manufacturers them.
selves wrote these schedules. The
interests Of the people do not seem e
Rave been considered H. the matter.
What can serve 10 make the new
Tariff bill popular " these textile
schedules remain unchanged? II q
Han has 20 pay s. more for his sui
Of clothes next winter. you may cal
mis- attention to free raw materials.
the reduction in the tarin on alumni
mum and free kerosene oil all yot
i please. but you viii fail TO convinc'
him that he has not been the vicsiu
q gross injustice
4 There appears TO b. no bust reaoc-
Why the wooicn trust and the aiapac;
trust and the wool-top monopolis
should b. given a production TIA
enables them to levy an extrcmeil
high tax on every man Ia the Unite
= States vho wears clothes.
President Taft appears to be IN
one powerful parry leader IN Washing
. ton who - considering the interest
Of the people IN thss tarif revision
The others are rocking after thu
friends their constituents. indus
tries IN their own districts. WIZ Nj