The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-18

the other hand, were quite likely to
be equally biased on the other side.
Mr. Payne reported bill-the
Payne tariff bill-which went to the
senate and was attended in the senate
by increasing the duty on some things
and decreasing on others
Senate and House Bills.
'HThe, difference between the house
bill and the senate bill was very much
less than the newspapers represented.
'It turns out upon examination that
about equal to those in the house,
though they differed in character.
Now there is nothing quite SO diff
cult as the discussion of the tariff bill,
for the reason that it covers so many
difficult items. the meaning of terms
and the percentages are most difficult
to understand. The passage of a new
bill, especially where change in the
been followed presents an opportunity
for various decreases that is really
most misleading or really throws no
light at all upon the changes made.
zone way of stating what was done
TX to say what the facts show-that
under the Ding1ey law there were
2,O24 items. This included dutiable
items only. The Payne law leaves
1,15O of these items unchanged. There
are decreases in 654 of the items and
increases in 22O of the items. Now, of
course. that does not give a full pic
ture, but it does show the proportion
CT decreases to have been three times
those of the increases.
Now, attempts have been made to
show what the real effect of these
changes have been by comparing the
and assuming that the changes and
their Importance were in proportion
to the importation.
Purposes of a Tariff.
Nothing could be more unjust in
a protective tariff which also contains
revenue provisions. Some of the tar
/ fits made for the purpose of increas-
ing the revenue by increasing impor-
tations which shall pay duty. Other
items in the tariff are made for the
purpose of reducing competition, that
is, by reducing fmpOrtations, and
therefore, the question of the impor-
lance of a change in rate cannot in
the slightest degree be determined by
the amount of imports that take place.
I'm order to determine the impOr-
lance of the changes it is much fairer
to take articles on which the rates OF
duty have been reduced and those on
which the rates of duty have been in
creased and then determine from sta
tistics how large part the articles
on which duties have been reduced
play in the consumption of the coup-
try and how large part those upon
which the duties have been increased
DlaX COnSuInpIlOH
try. Such a table has been prepared |
by Mr.. Payne, than when there is
no one who understands better what |
the tariff is and who has given more |
attention to the details of the sched- |
ules."
Increase ON Luxuries.
The president then went into the |
details of the increases and decreases
of the various schedules, showing that |
in most cases the articles upon which
there were decreases were consumed |
to a far greater extent than were the |
creaseS.
Articles other than luxuries upon
which increased duties have been
levied, said the president were only
tent of 1912, 100000 annually, while
upon which the duties had
been decreased were consumed to the
extent of 100000 of luxuries
the country consumed annually an
amount valued at $579,00O,0
The president continued: Now this
statement shows as concluS1Vely as pos
ible the fact that there was sub
tantiaI downward revision on articles
mi ering into the general consumption
# the country which can be termed
necessities for the proportion is $5,OOe,-
100000, Representing the consumption OF
lrticles to which decreases applied to
ess than $30O.00O,000 of articles Of neces-
ity to which the increases applied.
The Revision Downward.
Now, the promise Of the Republican
,latform was not to revise everything
downward, and in the smpeeches which
ave been taken as interpreting that
platform which I made in the cam
,aign I did not promise that every
hing should go downward.
What I promised was that there
hould be many decreases, and that in
ome few things increases would be
ound 10 be. necessary but that on the
whole I conceived that the change of
conditions would make the revision
necessary downward-and that I con-
end under the showing which have
rade has been the result of the Payne
I'LL 1 did not agree, nor did the Re-
publican party agree that we would re-
luce rates to such point as to re-
luce prices by the introduction of for
ign competition. That is what the
rec traders desire. That is what the
evenue tariff reformers desire, hut that
I not what the Republican platform
Promised, and il is not what the Re
publican party wished to bring about.
"The p1 OPPOSITION of the Republican
,arty was to reduce rates so as to
maintain a difference between the cost
# production abroad and the cost of
reduction here insuring a reasonable
,rofit to the manufacturer on all ar
icleS produced in this country and the