The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-25
TALK FOR FREE HIDES.
Crumpacl1er Even Sees Benefit to
the Farmer.

Washington, March 25.-Declaring
that the chief commendatory features
of the Payne tariff bill is the placing
of certain crude, raw materials used
in manufacturing on the free list, Rep
resentative Crumpacker of Indiana
the most pronounced downward re-
visionist among the Republican mem
bers of the ways and means commit
tee, in a speech in the house today
discussed at great length the protec-
ton idea, and some of the most inn
portant schedules in the new bill. He
said that tariff bills are peculiarly the
result of compromises, and said that
he had no doubt that the Payne bill
is great improvement over the Ding
ley act.
1.-The object of protection" said Mr.
Crumpacker, "is to stimulate domes-
tic industry along natural lines, where
the resources of the country are ca
pable of supplying the entire domestic
demand, thereby creating home COM
petition and securing to the people
the comforts and accessories of life at
stable and reasonable prices. Customs
duties that are not levied in harmony
with this principal are not logical pro-
tective duties 1t is not the policy of
protection to simply surround special
interests with conditions under which
they may make increased profits.
protection to simply increase the price
of commo dities.'
An Ideal Principle.
Mr.. Crumpacker said that the tariff
platform of 1908. which declared that
the duties ought to be sufficient only
to cover the difference in cost of pro-
duction in the United States and in
able profit to the producer is an ideal
principle. He stated, however, that
the difficulty is in making a practical
application of that principle because
of the constant fluctuation in the cost
of production in America and abroad.
Protective duties should not be
unnecessarily high continued Mr..
Crumpacker. "It is often charged
that protective tariff creates trusts.
Trusts are combinations growing out
of the passion of avarice and they are
created to stif1e competition and in
crease profits. All combinations are
not trusts. Trusts exist in free trade
countries as well as in countries that
maintain protective tariffs
Mr.. Crumpacker said that the vital
purpose of a protective tariff is to
increase opportunity for the employ
ment of capital and labor in the de-
velopments of the natural resources.
If there were no protection to Amer
lean labor, he said, the level of wages
in this country would gravitate to the
level of wages in foreign countries, and
he declared that the present tariff
policy tends to keep up high stand
ard of wages and living.
The Country's Advantage.
Notwithstanding the high scale of
wages in this country he said, the
United States can successfully COM
pete with the entire civilized world in
many lines of production. because it
has the greatest market of any coun-
try. and because its 80 million people
have a consuming capacity equal to
that Of almost half the entire popula-
ton of the globe. It's natural re-
sources, he said are not excelled by
any country and conditions are such
here, he contended that the capacity
and efficiency of labor can be in
creased by a greater degree by ma
chinery.
Mr. Crumpackers made a lengthy
argument in favor of free hides, as
serting that the duty on hides has in
creased the cost of shoes for the wage
Garner but it has not created any de-
mand for additional capital nor
created employment for single
additional laborer.
He said the average farmer will de-
rive more direct benefit in the de-
creased cost of boots, shoes, harness
now derives from the tariff on cattle
hides Attacking the tariff for
revenue only policy of the Demo-
cratic party Mr.. Crumpacker declared
that this was a sham and a fraud. He
discussed the maximum and minimum
provisions of the paper bill and de-
clared it to be a wise provision.
Mrs George West of Havana, Cuba,
is the guest of Mr.. and Mrs. J. G. West.
he will Ioave soon To iOin Mr.. West in