The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1909-07-27
Must Lower Rates on
All Manufactures
of Leather
THE ONLY WAY OUT
The Only Hope of Consumers in Re.
ceiving Benefit From Free Hides Is
Through Material Cut in Leather
PrOducts.-If Program Is Not Ac-
cepted VIII Impose Duty.

W. oAN3 Ou1y ~. -
Hides will be put on the free
list if boots and shoes and
other manufactures of leather are
reduced below the house rates.
Unless the advocates of free
hides are able to carry out this
bargain the whole is to be called
OF. A decision to this effect was
rea ched by the tariff ccnferees to-
day The conference adjourned
tonight until II a. m. tomorrow,
but the house members will as
semble half an hour earlier in or
der that they may plan for exc
cutting their part of the agree
ment. 1t is expected that they
will have report from the house
leaders as to the possibility of
passing a rule comforting juris-
diction on them to agree to lower
rates on leather than those named
III Uu6 uOuSo Dlll.
Senator Aldrich has notified sena-
tors from northwest states that he
will not consider free hides unless
there is material cut in boots and
shoes and other leather goods. In no
other way he. said, can he get the
necessary votes in the senate. Sena-
tors from cattle raising states have
insisted that the only way consumers
can get any benefits from the removal
of the protective duty on hides will
be by corresponding reductions in
the duties on boots and shoes and
harness. The Rock Island senator's
view comedies with this statement.
If anything should occur to upset
the plan to give the conferees juris-
diction to adopt lower rates the COM
ference committee is holding what Is
regarded as trump card in reserve.
This provides for conference report
putting hides on the free list and
reducing the rates on shoes and other
manufactures.
The report, it is said, would be pre-
sented to President Taft with the
statement that the conferees had not
been able to muster sufficient votes
to assure its adoption and it would
devolve upon the president to secure
the support for the program. In the
event of failure, the conferees will
submit report placing small duty
on hides and the house rates on
leather.
Few of the conferees believe it
would be incumbent upon them to re-
sort to such tactics.
Senator Warren said the western
senator's will not be representing
their states If they were to consent to
the abolition of the duty ON hides in
the interest of the manufacturers Of
shoes and other leather goods.
While the western senator's take the
position that the removal of the duty
on hides will be injurious to the cat
tie business, some of them say they
will withdraw their protests because
of the insistence of President Taft, If
reductions are made all along the line
in the leather schedule.
The program on which the con-
ferees are working is as follows:
Hides, free, as provided by the house,
against the senate rate of Is per
cent advalorem; sole leather per
cent, the saIae as in the house bill as
against the senate rate of Is per cent;
dressed upper leather 719 per cent, as
against Is per cent in both the house
and senate bills; boots and shoes 10
per cent, as against Is per cent in the
house bill and 20 per cent in the SEN
ate bill; saddlery and harness 20 per
cent, as against 95 per cent in the
house bill and 40 per cent in the SEN
ate bill.
According to Senator Warren, the
story that beef packers are engaging
extensively In the tanning business
and will be the principal beneficiaries
of duty on hides, has been used by
the "free hide lobby" in manufacturing