Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-23
|ITs CRITICISM CAUSTIC
Asserts That Foreign Trade Is
Sought With Meat-Ax.
MEASURE DECLARED SECTIONAL
It Is Charged That the Farmer Gets
Practically No Relief, and Bur-
dens Are Put on Producer.

| House last evening by Minority Leader
Champ Clark The report is a caustic
criticism of the Payne bill in general and
particular. The main allegations concern
| ing the bill are:
That II invites trade war with for
| eign nations.
| That it favors the trusts and taxes the
| consumer
That it is sectional and discriminatory.
That it will bring sorrow and dismay
to the great body of consumers.
| Branching out from these preliminary
allegations. the report takes up the
schedules in detail and criticises each.
| There are many changes-for the most
part, minor changes the report says. "of
| the Dingley rates, some up and some
| down. Most of the changes in down.
ward direction are reductions more APP
parent than real, the Payne rates being
| as prohibitive in their results in many
cases as the Dingley rates. In some OF
| the schedules containing the most eXorbi-
| tant rates there are no changes giving
any appreciable relief 10 the great bodS
| of consumers.
| Declaring that a tariff is a tax paid by
| the consumer, and that the only func-
ton of a tariff law is to raise revenue to
| supply the needs of the government, me
minority members of the committee in
sist that instead Of an increase OF taxes
or a new issue of bonds the correct
| remedy for the growing deficiency In the
revenues is the cutting down OF the ex-
penses of running the government.
Trade Sought With Meat-Ax.
| Continuing the criticism of the Payne
bill, the report declares:
| 1.-THE whole maximum and minimum
tariff scheme as set forth in the Payne
bill enables foreign countries to force us
| TO raise the rates of the Payne schedules
20 per cent. which would, after making
ample allowance for all reductions IN
tho PAYNE bill, increase our tariff rates on
| the average much above the rates of the
Dingley lava. prospect which Will
bring sorrow and dismay to the great
| body of the people. We are most heartily
| in favor of such a maximum and mini
mum tariff as will enable our govern
ment to negotiate tariff arrangements by
nlaing concessions to other governments
by reducing the rates OF our statues
when such other countries will make
equally valuable concessions TO us; the
maximum rates should he the rates OF
our statutes, whatever they are. and the
| minimum a reasonable rate below our
statutory rates; but as it stands the maxi
| mum and minimum tariff plan OF the
Payne bill is an open challenge to trade
| war with every other nation on earth. IL
| is seeking trade with club or meat
az. We are opposed to such an unwise
and unnecessary performance.
in this connection 1t may be well to
ponder thoroughly our relations with
Cuba. Does any sane man suppose for
one moment that the great commercial
nations, our competitors for the world ;
i trade. will concede that Cuba Is one Of
our dependencies? 1t is thing incred-
ible. To ask that question. is to an
/ swer it.
i THE bill Is In many respects crude, in
definite sectional and prohibitive. 1t
| seems to US from our examination, which
was necessarily hasty, that on the whole
4 no nF inc aY
| ample, it will increase the price of hosiery
| about 80 per cent. and certainly nobody
will claim that hosiery is a luxury in
this day and generation. In numerous
| instances the protection exceeds the en-
| tire labor cost of production.
The report maintains that the tariff ar
| rangement with the Philippines should be
considered I'm a separate measure and not
| in the general tariff bill.
The Bill Called Sectional.
| The claim that the bill is sectional
| one, made by the democratic members of
| the committee. is based largely on the
/ cotton schedule. The report contends
| that the bill does not lift any burdens
| from the shoulders of the southern farm
/ er, although the manufacturer of cotton
| goods is protected by heavy tax, 1t
| claims.
| The treatment of the farmer by this
/ bill is along the same lines as have char
| acterized republican methods in the past
| says the report. He gets practically no
| relief and the laborer and producer have
greater burdens imposed upon them. Ev-
| cry article of food the laborer must have
to live comfortably is heavily taxed; even
| the salt on his table is not EXEMPT. This
| schedule agricultural productst was evil
| IDENTIFY prepared by the same mind which
| has dominated this bill-a mind certainly
| not unfair to the great trusts
| The Standard Oil Company is as hand
| someiy cared for in the Payne bill In
| the Dingley BILL the report continues.
| land by reason of the provision in para
| graph 627. popularity known as the Joker
1 continues to be protected by tariff duty
of 90 per cent; which enables 1t to domi-
nate and exploit the American market
and to levy tribute upon the public
thereby pilng up millions of dollars OF
Ill gotten gains
The report further contends that sim
| liar Joker In the paragraph providing
| for the free entry of coffee places duty
on coffee equal to the export duty i'm
posed by the country from which IL Is
imported, and that the consumer must
| pay both thc' export duty of the other
| country and the import duty of the
United States. The tax on ;ea is also
attacked the claim being made that the
81 100000 which it is intended to raise by
imposing a duty on tea represents the
amount by which the cost OF living will
be increased by this tax.
Metal Schedule Criticised.
| Criticism is made OF the metal schedule.
and IL is commended that hides having
been placed on the free list. the duty on
leather shoes. harness and other leather
manufactures should also he removed.
Increases in the chemical schedule are
termed unjustifiable. and the changes
made in the glass schedule. the democrats
claim. will not increase the revenues APP
probably.
A severe arrangement of the wool
schedule is made. THE only notew orthy
change in the rates on manufactures of
| WOOL the report states, lis that in the
Payne bill lower rate is out on tops
than upon yarn, as X should be
Claiming that this change Will not
affect the consumer. the report declares
No man. woman on child will ever have
cause to thank the trainers of the Payne
bill for cheaper and more abundant
clothes and blankets
The compound duties. specific and ad
valorem. of the Dingley and Payne bills.
on woolens.s is severely criticised.
:; Duty on Refined Sugar.
cent In the city on refined sugar. provided
by the Payne bill. the report declares:
Theoretically the trust receives a blow
between the eyes In reality this infini-
tesimal reduction OF the Dingley rate will
not reduce the price of refined sugar-a
prime necessary OF life-to the consumer
in any degree whatsoever. Certainly that
4 ton