Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-05-19
FROM WASHINGTON.
senator Hale Worries Democrats
Rep. Burleigh Busy with Pensions.

| WASHINGTON, -. u, MAY II tspSStait -
Senator Hale has been driving ahead in
recent days with a new protection argu-
ment. He has been convincing the Senate
with an array of statistics that the in
creased cost Of living is not due to high
protective tariffs. The matter came to the
front incidentally. Senator Hale, who
abstains from debate unless he sees some
particular point to be emphasized, caught
| the significance of statement that Sena-
| tor Scott. OF West Virginia, had made for
an entirely different purpose.
| Mr.. Scott has exhibited to the Senate a
half gallon water pitcher, made OF pressed
| glass, OF which he is a manufacturer. He
! told the Senate that it was sold to the
wholesaler for 90 cents dozen, less
| than cents piece, and cost the ultimate
purchaser some 40 or 80 cents apiece. Mr..
Scott stated this to prove that his indus
try was not depressing the consumer.
Senator Hale saw the opening and began
to ask questions. Was it not the whole
saler, who buys of the manufacturer, and
the retailer who had been making the big
profits, and who had been putting up the
prices of necessities OF life? The Maine
senator enlisted the support of Senator
Flint, of California, and others. He had
inquiries set on foot as to the cost of pro-
tecfed articles TO the wholesaler.
The result was that the Maine senator
brought out some surprising information
about a number OF articles, including
wearing apparel and household equipment.
1t showed that these articles were almost
''dirt cheap" as sold By the manufacturer
for whom the protection is voted, but that
the increases in cost are put on by the
middlemen who handle the goods after
the manufacturing stage.
Democrats have been busy trying to
break the argument down. Every few
days Senator Hale gives them fresh in
stallment OF facts. Then the democratic
arguments rage anew, and there is every
promise that the Maine senator's state
ments OF the importance of protection in
/ cheapening the cost OF manufactured
articles will have large place in the next
campaign. 1t puts the wholesalers and
middiemen on the defensive. They must
now show why they take so large share
OF the cost of an article, and the result
may be the shying of fewer rocks at the
protective tariff.
The fishing interests OF Maine are figur-
ing somew hat in the tariff bill before the
Senate. The fish schedule as a whole is of
minor revenue Importance, compared with
many others, but the industry along the
Maine coast is of Importance, and several
items have been put into the bill, since
it left the House, nearly all at the in
stance of Senator Hale, that will be of
help to the fishermen and to those dealing
in fish products along the coast of the
Pine Tree state.
One incident of these amendments per-
tanned to sod oil. II is red-looking sub
stance, which comes from the dressing of
cbamois skins. When Senator Lodge one
day rose from his seat in the Senate and
asked that sod oil be required to pay
duty of GEMS, along with herring oil and
other like products, hardly any one within
the sound of his voice knew what Sod oil
was. There is only one chamois skin tam
merry in the United States, and the product
of sod oil from that tannery is not very
large. The sod oil is used further for
dressing leather.
Only Senator Lodge and one or two
others knew that be was asking for duty
upon sod oil at the request of Senator
Hale. The latter had been advised OF the
danger that sod oil might come into COM
petition with cod oil, which is produced
| in some quantities from the Goldfish