The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-07-16
By WALTER J. FAHY.

CHICAGO. July l6.-Chicago, with in
terests as diversified as any other city
in the United States. is as much opposed
to the Payne-Aldrich tariff bill as any
city in the country which had counted
upon a downward revision of the tariff.
The protest against the bill is not CON
fined TO one class of merchants or
manufacturers. 1t comes from boot and
shoe dealers, clothing dealers and cloth
ing manufacturers; hardware mer-
chants. dry goods merchants and depart
ment stores.
That New England does not stand
alone in its appeal for free hides is
evidenced in a letter to the shoe trade
by the jobbers and manufacturers which
urges that a committee now on its way
to Washington be given hearty support
This letter calls for immediate action
II begins by asking the following pat
questions about the Senate Finance
Committees action i'm putting a duty on
hides after the Ways and Means Com
mittee had put that commodity on the
free list:
Letter To Shoe Trade.
Have YOU done anything at all to get
that iniuuitous tariff taken off of hides?
or have you sat still and waited to see
somebody else do something. You have
a member of Congress at Washington;
your state has two Senators. they
want your vote and influence in politics
Have you written 10 them, or telegraph
ed them about this tariff on hides?''
The letter continues;
You know what has happened in
Congress. The House, by d majority
vote of III. voted to put hides on the
free list; the Senate. ruled by Senator
Aldrich, has voted to keep the 10 per
cent duty on hides by a majority of
sixteen. Ten Democratic Senators voted
with the Republicans. The matter now
goes TO a conference committee of the
House and Senate for final disposal
The last battle is at hand now. and if
you don't take some steps TO carry the
day for the rights of the public you
deserve what you viii probably get.
DO you want to see the shoe bust
meas, wholesale and retail, go by the
same road the tobacco business mas
gone? The Packers trust has already
begun, on the strength of the Senate
vote. 10 put up the price Of hides. The
price is nov II cents: less than two
years ago the same hides were selling
at 10 cents, and in 1881 they sold at
cents, an advance in price I'm ffteer
years Of $50 per cent.
If this action Of the Senate is con
firmed yOu~Till see in the next ninety
days a tremendous advance in the pric,
of shoes, harness, and all other articles
made of leather. You viii find tina
this Is per cent on hides pretty likely
ultimately viii put a crimp in your bust
ness. You may take notice when IN,
Packers trust, in control Of the leathe
market. goes into the shoe business
and a trust retail store opens in you
vicinity and you have that kind OF
competition TO meet-and 1t may come
you'll be looking around for some bust
ness to get into.
The other day the old argument wa
made in the Senate that the tariff OF
hides was TO protect the farmers, bu
when the question was asked why. il
that case, the tarin didn't cover al
hides instead Of simply those which tn
packers controlled, nobody could an
SWeT.
The matter affects the whole people
not just few. It means extra cost o
shoes 10 consumers who's gong u