Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-08-06
AIdriCh Bill
EXPOSED BY EXPERTS.

When the tariff bill passed the Sen
ate, it was generally understood that
it embodied tariff revision upward
Aldrich and his associates contin
ued to claim, however,-a without
Offering any facts in support of thei
claims, - that the duties were eithe
not increased or that the increas,
could not be shown. But Senator
La Toilette did not propose to allow
any doubt upon this point to remain
in anybody's mind. at least not if the
mind was open and capable of compre
hending simple arithmetic.
So, as soon as the Senate passed the
bill, he took copy Of it to the gov.
ernment'S great statistical bureau
under President Taft's Secretary OF
Commerce and Labor and had the bu-
reau make tabulation which would
show mathematically what Aldrich
had done to the tariff. When this
tabulation was completed, Senator
La Toilette presented it in the Sen
AoC diiu iitto ~ PIlllUCu do coidlo
Document and he also laid a copy of
it before the President, explaining
that it was the work Of an impartial
bureau of his administration and
that it showed just where and how
much the tariff would increase if he
should approve the Aldrich bill.
For the purpose of this tabulation
the thousands Of items in the tariff
schedule are classified and tabulated
in three columns. In the first col
umn are set down the rates that are
not changed from the Dingley law,
the value of imports under them and
the revenue collected. In the second
column are set set down the rates
that are increased, the imports and
revenues under them. In the third
column, are the rates that are de-
creased and the imports and the rev.
enues under them. BY simply adding
up each column you have the final re-
suit as to each schedule and all the
The value of the imports
and the revenues affords measure of
the relative Importance of the rates
in the several columns. For the spur-
poses of the calculation the statistics
of imports for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1907, are1 taken as tho hasis-
These are the statistics used by the
Finance Committee in their tabula-
tion and which Aldrich claimed were
the latest figures which were repre-
sentative of normal trade conditions.
Space will not permit a detailed an
alysis of this interesting tabulation
to be given here. The most that can
be given is the final results by sched-
ules. The tariff is composed of four
teen schedules lettered from GA" to
en-" inclusive.
Schedule ga" embraces chemicals,
oils and paints, The total value of
imports under this schedule in 1907
was, in round number, Al million dol
lars. AS to 32 millions, or more than
three-fourths of these imports. the
Senate bill re-enacted the Dingley
rates. On less than 81 millions Of i'm
ports, the rates in this schedule are
reduced about 81 per cent. The net
result is an average increase in sched-
ulc~"A" of 7.5l per cent. above the
Dingley rates.
Schedule "B' embraces the duties
on earths, earthenware, glass, glass
ware, etc. 1t is an important sche-
dule and one that should be subjected
to sweeping reductions. There are 81
of imports under it. The
Dingley duties applying to nearly 2e
millions of,these imports are re-enact-
ed in the Senate bill without change.
On about a million and half of i'm.
ports the duties are increased about
300 per cent. while on the remaining
two millions there is decrease of less
than % per cent. The net result on
the whole schedule is decrease that
amounts to less than one-half of one
per cent. 1t is su ubstantially a re-en
actment of Schedule OBJ of the Ding
ley law.
In Schedule &C." the metal sche
dule, of the total IS millions of i'm
ports, "a millions remain subject tt
the DingIey rates. On 13 millions
the duties are increased 35 per cent
above the Dingley rates while on 2
millions they are reduced q per cent
The net result as to the whole sche
dule is reduction-a reduction" 70
which great claims are made-amount
ing to less than two per cent, re
ducton so small that it cannot pos
sibly reach the consumer in the form
of reduced prices.
In Schedule 3D." wood and manu-
factures of wood, of which the tota
imports are less than 25 millions
there are reductions affecting abou
two-t thirds of the schedule. The re
ductions in the schedule, average les
than 10 per cent, however, and are il
no sense a menace to the interests {
the lumber trust. This is Aldrich
answer to the demand Of the countr
| for free lumber.
Schedule &C." which embraces sui
ar, molasses and manufactures there
of, also shows the charactar OF "rt
ductions' which have been allowed b
Aldrich and his associates" Th