The Washington herald., 1909-05-17

In his manipuIstions TO line I'D a ma
jority OF the Senators TO support his
substitute for the Payne tariff bill Senator
Aldrich is eneountering great dificulty.
owing TO his proposed continuation OF the
Dingley tsrin on hides It is said Sena-
tors with inside information as to what
a continuation OF the hide duty means in
the way OF giving the beef packers
monopoly OF the leather industry OF the
country are loath 10 line up with Senator
Aldrich, even If given practical assur-
aDces that the Senate only wants a hide
duty for trading purposes with the House
when the conference stage is reached
The House. thoroughly educated on the
subject, voted for free hides BY a ma
jority Of 10. The packers had not neg
lected 10 pull every string IN the effort 70
have the House vote a continuation OF the
Dingley rate OF 15 per cent, and are keep
ing up the work on the Senator'S. Il was
the independent tanners and shoe manu-
fecturers who went to the Representa-
tiyes with their side OF the story.
Situation Serious One.
According TO A. II. lockwood. OF Chi
cago. editor OF Hide and Leather. who
IL the secretary OF the joint committee
or tanners and shoe manufacturers urg-
ing free hides against the efforts OF the
meat trust lobby. the situation Is Of such
serious nature that a continuation Of
the duty means the determination OF TIE
independent tanner and the gradual gob-
bling up OK the shoe manufacturing bust
ness OF the country by the beef trust.
Twelve years ago. when the DingIey
law went into effect and a J5 per cent
duty was placed upon hides" said Mr..
lockwood. the tanners OF the country
did not complain. They all were in com
petition. and the big beef slaughtering
houses OF the country sold them their
raw materials Seven years ago tie pack
ers. recognizing that they controlled the
price Gf the raw material went into the
tanning Business To-day thev control
a, least thirty tanneries. and. besides FIX
inE the price OF the raw material. are
working 10 control the price OF leather.
In view OF the fact that the domestic
supply Of leather is far short OF the
enormous demand. leather having no
substitute. there IS necessarily an enor-
nous demand for the hides of Argentina
But the Is per cent duty makes the profit
70 the Argentine shipper 81 low or the
price 10 the American manufacturer so
high that the hides are diverted 70 the
free ports Of Europe
Hides Alone Unchanged.
The Payne bin. as well as the Aldrich
substitute, has cut the duty on shoes 40
per cent. on sole leather . per cent: none
OF the leather schedules OF the Dingley
Dill survive except in the Aldrich bin
there Is the retention OF the hide duty.
This situation is in strange contrast 10
the protected beef Industry. which has
suffered little II any cut in the Senate.
The House, IN cutting the leather sched-
Uie. which not only includes shoes. but
betting and harness and a thousand AID
one other things that leather enters into,
was fOr free hides to eqCsiize the dam
age the reduced duties would do TO the
leather industries. The Senate. II Sena--
tor Aldricb's programme carries. will
leave the leather men more secure in
the power OF the Chicago packers.
The House was moved. too. By the
great economic proposition involved IN the
question OF free hides. Now. owing TO
lack OF hides. tanneries and shoe manu-
factories are closed from three to four
months year. the army OF workers be-
ing idle. With free hides factories and
tanneries will be kept in constant run
ming order. the number OF employees in
creased by substantial numbers. and the
shoe export business Of the American
manufacturer, which IS now only S1l.eo9,-
e0g a year, Increased in a short time 10
$50 100000, giving American msnufactur-
ers the shoe market Of the world.