Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-07-30
GENERAL SUSPICION THAT CON.
eREss DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT
RATES AND THEIR EFFECT.
SAME INTERESTS HOLD
WIDELY DIVERGENT VIEWS
No One Actually Knows Exact Results
on Business if Oil, Lumber, Iron Ore,
Sugar and Hides Should Be Placed
on Free List or if Schedules Should
Be Boosted-Tariff Question Riddle
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
Washington, July 30-The work Of
the conference committee in putting
the tariff bill into it's final shape has
brought out in a striking way the fact
that the actual effects of many import
ant tariff duties are not known by
most legislators, and that there is
wide difference Of opinion as to their
effects.
For instance, the conference, at the
behest of the president, is going to
place iron ore either on the free list,
or, more likely, under a greatly re-
duced duty. Who wants the duty on
iron ore reduced, and who objects? One
story is that the Independent steel con-
Germs want iron ore free because they
own vast deposits in Cuba, but can't
bring the ore in under present condi-
to this theory, is the real opposition.
But having heard all the details of
this theory from one senator, an in
vestigator may go across the hall, and
another statesman will lower his voice
to whisper, and explain with all
possible circumstance how it is that
the trust wants free iron ore in order
ITO get it cheaper than the lake ores
can be transported to the Atlantic
tidewater iron works. He will prove
that the trust in reality controls the
interests that own the Cuban deposits;
and he will make it all perfectly plain.
Again, who really wants petroleum
free OF duty? Speaker Cannon assured
the house in an tmpassioned speech
that the hated Standard Oil Company
controlled the Mexican fields and
wanted free petroleum so it could
flood this country with the cheap
Mexican petroleum, and close up the
oil wells of this country. The other
side of it is that the Standard wants
the highest duty possible in order to
enable it to sell at exorbitant prices in
this country. And nobody seems to
know which side is the right one Both
are equally positive they are right
And hides. Will the farmers get the
benefit of the tariff on hides, or does
it all go to the beef trust? Is the
trust the real power which is pressing
for continuance Of the duty? One rep
resentative from Chicago gives it out
as positive that j. Ogden Armour told
him the packers didn't care a fig for
the hide duty. A Wisconsin tanner on
the other hand gives demonstration
that all the benefit OF the duty, amount
ing to a vast sum, goes to the trust,
and that If the duty is continued the
trust will shortly own all the tanneries,
then will go into the boot and shoe
manufacture, and control it. A range
state senator can prove beyond oavil
that the benefit goes to the farmer, and
that he can't get along without it. The
shoemaker will prove that the duty on
hides works out difference of 25 to
80 cents and even more In the cost of
a pair of shoes; and another shoe
manufacturer will prove that this
Ii monstration is all moonshine.
Then there is sugar Two republic
CAN senators sat down in an office
room the other day and talked about it
for an hour. There was no politics in
it; no personal interests or prejudices
Now one of them argued that the tariff
gives the sugar trust its monopoly
and enables it to control and smother
the best sugar industry. The other
was just as sure that the sugar trust
didn't depend on the tariff, and that if
the tariff We're removed the country
would be flooded with cheap sugar and
the beet sugar and the Louisiana cane
industry drowned out. They hadn't
made the first step in progress toward
agreement when they gave it up al
the end of an hour
| And lumber. Is there a lumber trust
The lumber lobby says it has beer
conclusively proven this session tina
| there is not. The free-lumber people
insist that it is more certain than evel
before that there is lumber trust
! The free-lumber people are positive
that to remove the duty would make
lumber decidedly cheaper in this coun'
| try The other side of it is that th,
duty doesn't really affect the price o
1 lumber, and that no matter what Il
know the difference.
More than this, there are the expert
at possible disagreement as to whethe
the removal of the protection woult
conserve or wreck the American for
ests. Chief Forester Pinchot was final
/ ly convinced that the removal of TIL
duty would encourage the destruction
of American timber The advocates o
free lumber sapiently urge that fire.
lumber would let in enough Canadian
lumber would let in enough CANADIAN
home article and thus would he'll
4 greatly to conserve the home supply
Who is right? Congress, as whole, /
lust as far from confident conclusion
on all these matters as it was the da
i the session opened.
But the tariff bill will be passed, an
congress will go home, still wonderin
what it all meant and what 1t will do.