New-York tribune., 1909-05-28

'Per III piqued or embroidered % GEMS $50
Hoe-Tho letter fooinr number Of items .S r, ines
stated are domestic origin; that GOODS OF +a,
the ad vaorenn been aPProxmeei by |"NE ]
hack from retail price IN the tinted ,I,e
Gas2. 5alR the foreign "'0sS'S p''S' vi ~
Apart from its significant setting forth or tle
duties paid on the various articles winch -
almost every family are necessities. this taple
has a somewhat interesting history.
The list of articles with their retail prices was
originally prepared by The Tribune's Wash
ington correspondent with the aid OF various
retail experts in the several lines OF the NE,
cbandise represented such drygocls Is mems
clothing furniture hardware, etc. The con-
ception Of the man whose income was such th'l
he would ordinarily purchase a SUIT OF clothes
for SIS was preserved throughout. ana the eA-
merits were asked: What would man Win
-,,ob an income pay at retail for a cook stove
a bed \ dress for his wife, a go-cart for ms
child. etc ," By consulting experts the harlilo"S
of the various grades was preserved thFoushou'
.Itboueh II was assumed that such an individual
maid cash prices instead of the hlsheF prices
usually exacted where the instalment plan IS
followed.
When the list was completed it was submitted
~. the Trib,,ne correspondent to certain Treas
,,ry exDerts with the request that they furnlsh
the duties which would have TO be paid on each
item under the several bills. The request was
granted but with the stipulation that the source
Of information should not be disclosed me +irst
con1nilation submitted to The Tribune sho"eu
that all ad valorem duties had been computed
on the retail prices which rendered the taoI9
practically valueless. 1t was returned WIN 'iIe
&c. that the experts first ascertain as nearly
as possible the wholesale prices ana on IheS0
commute the ad valorem duties Meanwhile
Iaal- in q
partment, copy of the first table became pubic
and anpeared in certain newspapers. Before
+ba+ however the table as here given mad been
cor,niIed and handed to The Tribunes corre-
snondent. and by its use it possible 10 point
out the errors in the first table as puoliShed.
This was done in these dispatches WIN the
statement that the who had prepared the
first table we're not experts, as they had proved
not to be- having computed ad Valorem duueS
without the knowledge of the Treasury Off
,,o1 . con,, Of the second ia ble also leaked"
and found its way into a Massachusetts morn
ing publication, but so printed that 1t at
tracted comparatively little attention. Various
Inquiries have since been directed TO the Treas
urv as to the accuracy of the information con-
tanned in The Trbune's dispatch correcting the
errors in the first table. and finally IL was de-
cided at the Treasury Department to-day to
give to the press the complete second table, as
here given The Tribune's correspondent was
released from the pledge of secrecy, and is
therefore at liberty to make this explanation.
It has been asserted that the figures were pre-
pared for the use Of the President, which is only
true in part. The figures were prepared at the
request Of The Tribune. but when the President
learned that the work was being done he re-
! quested that a copy of the table be furnished TO
him as a valuable contribution in his efforts TO
master the intricacies of the tariff bill.