The Washington herald., 1909-04-07
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

There is no single phase OF the tariff
question about which there is a wider
difference Of opinion than there is con-
corning the relationship Of tariff and
trusts. Some borrow the figures used BY
Havemeyer. the president OF the sugar
trust, and declare that the tariff is the
mother Of the trusts. Others declare that
the only relationship is that protection is
the mother OF prosperity, and that trusts
are but one OF the evils growing out of
good times Between these two defni-
tons Of the relationship there come all
sorts Of views and opinions. The ex-
IRENE proponent Of the Mother of
Trusts theory has what he regards ss
a convincing array of figures to prove
his case His opponent Is ready 10 de-
clare that there are just as many trusts,
proporuOnately, in free trade England as
there are in protection America. and that
they embody just as many evils as the
American trusts
Some see in the cutting of Of the tariff
an excellent solution OF the whole trust
question They argue that when a trust
seeks TO kill all its competitors all that
Is necessary Is 10 turn loose upon It the
dogs Of foreign competition and there win
be an end TO its tactics. Others exemplify
their position by the parable related re-
Gently by former Attorney General Bona
parte. a farmer, according to the par
able. had a lot OF hogs. Some Of them
were full-grOwn porkers. others were
shoats, and the remainder were pigs. Now.
the farmer has them all in one pen, and
when feeding time came the pOrkers got
most OF the swirl, the shosts got a little.
ard the pigs next 20 none. The farmer
could not stand FOR the crOwding out OF
the piss. so he cut of the swill entirely.
Result: a whole pen fun Of hungry,
squealing measly raZorbacks To the
mind of Mr. BonapaTte the minute pro-
lection is taken away because the trusts
get an undue share of it. the whole in
oustTial world would come 10 the un-
happy end OF the porkers, shOGts. and
pigs Another prominent political leader
declares that it is no more right TO stop
protection because Of the evils that grow
out OF the prosperity he asserts that 1t
brings about, than IL would be 10 blot Out
representative government because a few
representatives have betrayed their trust
The pet theory OF the Democrats is that
the trusts add the tariff 70 their prices
az home. and thereby make untold mill
lions cut Of the American consumer. one
Of their statisticians, Byron W Holt. has
figured the matter down TO rather a fine
point He estimates that the American
people consume Sl4.O00. 100000 worth OF
stuff a year and that the trusts make a
tariff profit Of Is per cent thereon, or
total OF more than 5000 100000 Viewing
the situation from another standpoint
that is taking the difference between
American and European prices-he finds
the tariff profits S.5c0Oo0.000 The stu
dent Of the Congressional Record is I'm
pressed by the frequency with which such
tables as those prepared by Mr.. Holt are
used In the course Of a single session. II
the House and Senate had 10 listen 10
their reading, they would have the pleas
ure Of hearing the same thing read from
dozen 10 fifty times.
One Of the greatest arguments against
any intimate relation between the tariff
and the trusts in past years was that pc
troleum was on the free list. and that
vet Standard oil was the greatest trust
OF them all. A year ago Representative
kustermann, Of Wisconsin, exploded that
argument. Re called the attention of
Congress to the fact that while petroleum
was apparently on the free list. II was in
100 20 900 per cent. He called attention 10
a little joker 81 the Dingley bill. which
provides that any country which levies
an import duty on American oil shall paw
a Ike duty when importing oil into the
United States. II so happens that Russia
is tie one other great oil-prOducing
country on the globe. and that she Ievies
a very high duty against American oil.
Consequently when Russia seeks 20 enter
her oil into American ports the rate is
fixed by her standard-which is practi-
caliy a prohibitive rate
When Representative Kustermann was
telling the House about this, the Demo-
Gratis thought they had a wonderful in
dictment against the trainers Of the Ding
ley bill But their applause and joy was,
shOrtlived. for Mr.. Kustermann prompt
" informed them that the very same
clause was in the Wilson-Gorman law.
and was placed there by Democrats. Mr..
Kustermann who is strong protectionist
estimated that this little 'cOuntervaiIing
duty joker costs the American people
$4,000 a day.
The paper trust has been getting the
benefit Of a tariff OF about Sc per ton on
print paper In speaking Of this IN the
House when the duty on wood pulp was
under discussion, Representative Perkins
stated that Il was now requiring annually
the timber from an acreage OF land equal
in size 10 the State Of Rhode Island 10
supply the American newspaper publish
ers' demands for print paper. He sug-
gested that under present conditions Il
would be better to pay a bounty on wood
pulp imported into the United States than
20 assess a duty against it. This is per-
haps the only time that a serious-minded
statesman has suggested a bounty on i'm
ports
The one interesting development Of the
tariff question in the recent past is the
gradual growth Of the number OF manu-
facturers who advocate extensive revi-
sion downward. Without exception, they
place themselves on the platform OF
Henry Clay-that he is the best friend OF
protection who seeks TO have II applied
where necessary and cut off where nm