The Cairo bulletin., 1909-05-12
GOOD PROGRESS
ON TARIFF BILL
DISPARITY BETWEEN WHOLE.
SALE AND RETAIL PRICES
DISCUSSED AT LENGTH.
TARIFF NOT TO BLAME
Declare Several Senators Who Give
Many Reasons and Cite Instances
70 Prove Their State
mcnts.

Washlng:t May 1.-Substantial
progress was made in consideration
of the tariff bill today, the amend
ments of the committee on finance
being upheld by the senate by a sub
stantial majority. The feature Of the
| days session was a general discus
sion concerning the great disparity
between the wholesale and retail
prices Of commodities which the To
publican senators declared was toe
great as to demonstrate that the duty
levied by the protective tariff had
small effect on the price paid by the
consumer.
This feature of the discussion was
Iprccipitated by Sc ator Scott, himself
glass manufacturer On his desk
We're sc;leral pieces of glassware,
which he, used to emphasize his re-
marks on the tariff
Here, he said "is a half gallon
pitcher we sell for ninety cents dcz-
en- 1t sells at retail for about forty
cents a piece Tumblers which are
sold at retail for $3.50 a dozen we sell
at II cents a dozen. Goblcts that
once commanded So a dozen, now sell
for 25 cents a dozen"
IF we keep on we will soon be pay
ing the people to carry this glassware
away" he added.
Hale took advantage of SCOTS eX
hibition to make a point in support
of the protective policy as whole.
He said the present debate would DC
as much to convince the people thai
the policy. of protectiu1 has no rela
ion to the high retail prices prevail
ing in this country
Flint cited as an instance n set OF
Haviland china which cost, after all
import duties and other expenses
we're paid $l0.S9, yet the retailer in
his country got $50 for it, Another
article that cost II cents to import
sold at retail for $3.50.
manufacturers wholesale price Of
$3.50 a dozen, which sold for 81 each
to consumers. Gloves, he said manu-.
factured for $40 per dozen, sold for
So per pair or S24 a dozen. These
high prices, he said, had nothing to
do with the protective tariff, because
compared with the retail prices the
tariff charge was small.
McLaurn defended the retail deal
ers against the charges of eXtOrtion
sayirg the retailers would lose their
trade, if they undertook to charge too
much. He said the high prices result
from the tariff.
The discussion continued on these
lines at some length until the win
dow glass schedule was reached. Cum
Minis offered several amendments to
this scedulc saying they were ntend-
ed to prevent in the future any com
binaticn among manufacturers of 9th
ers in that industry from putting III
prices. lie said at this time that the
domestic price of such glass is less
than the duty added to the cost OF
manufacturing the product, so that
competition was fixing the price to
the consumer.
An animated colloquy occurred be
tween the Iowa senator and Senator
William Alden Smith. the latter de
claring that the senator from Iowa is
m a position to make good campaign
promise to reduce customs duties
which he did not feel under obligation
to do.
Il voted for the Dingley bill', said
Smith. "and | have no apology =
make for that vote. The senator from
Iowa fearing some possible combina
tion among the glass manufacturer
in the future. wishes to bring the for
eign manufacturers a little nearer to
his American competitor, and | do
not.
Action on the window glas schedule
was not completed today. The schel
ule covering the products of lead was
passed over upon the suggestion o.
A-drich because, he said, the finance
committee desired TO make some
changes i'm the duties as previously
recommended. Adiourned until to-
marrow