The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-03-31
COST OF LIVING
Will be Increased by the Payne
Tariff Bill The
DEMOCRATS CLAIM

Alleged, While the Standard Oil
Trust and Other Trust Interests
Are Looked After.
Washington, March 22.-That the
Payne tariff bill would increase the
cost of living; that it is crude, indie
finite, sectional and prohibitive, and
that it is an open challenge to a
trade wal with every other nation on
earth, are some of the criticisms of
that measure made by the Democrat
ic members of the ways and means
committee in the minority report
submitted to the House by Minority
Leader Champ Clark today.
The report is a severe a~rraignment
of the revision which the Payne bill
The countervailing duty
provisions for coffee and petroleum,
the maximum and minimum features,
the Cuban reciprocity clause, the
wooden, glass, agricultural and sugar
schedules are bitterly attacked.
"There are many changes-for the
most part minor changes says the
report, "of the Dingley rates, some
I'd and some down. Most of the
changes in a downward direction are
reductions more apparent than real
the Payne rates being as prohibltlve
in their results in many cases as
the Dingley rates."
Declaring that a tariff is a tax
Maid bv the consumer, and that the
ONLY function of a tariff law is to
raise revenue to supply the needs
of the Government, the minority
members of the committee insist that
instead of an increase of taxes or
a new issue Of bonds, the correct
remedy for the growing deficiency in
the revenue is the cutting down OF
the expenses of running the Govern
ment.
1.-THE bill is in many respects crude,
indefinite, sectional and proh1bltlVe.
It seems to us from u examination,
which was necessarily hasty, that on
the whole it increases the cost OF
living. For example, 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 in
stances the protection exceeds tbs
entire labor cost of production"
The report maintains that the tar
if arrangement with the Philippines
should be considered in a separate
measure and not in the general tariff
bill. The claim that the bill is a
sectional one, made by the Demo-
cratic members of the committee, is
based largely on the cotton schedule.
The report contends that the bill does
not lift any burdens from the Shout
ders of the Southern farmer, al
though the manufacturer of cotton
goods is protected by heavy tax, it
claims.
1.-THE treatment of the farmer by
this bill is along the same lines as
have characterized Republican meth
DDS in the past" says the report.
He gets practically no relief, and
the laborer and producer have great
er burdens imposed upon them.
Every 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 products) was evident
ly prepared by the same mind which
has dominated this bill-a mind GER
tainly not unfair to the great trusts.
THAT the bill is a sectional one
is shown by the failure of the ma
i~rity of the committee to lift any
burden whatever from the shoulders
of the Southern farmer. The grower
Of cotton must sell his product in
the open markets of the world. In
order, however, to benefit the manu-
facturer of cotton the Republican
party makes him pay a heavy tax OF
every pound of it that is exported
and comes back into the United
States in the shape of manufactured
goods. Thus he, sells in free trade
markets and buys in a protected
market. Not only have these
burdens not been lifted, but addition
al ones have been placed upon him.
By an lately discovered process, a
fabric known as 'mercerized fabrics"
is now being made. This is a very
much like silk, and is largely worn.
In order to further enrich the manu-
facturer and to further tax the mass
es of the people a tax has been laid
on these goods.
Cotton hose has fallen under
their greedy gaze and the tax on it,
already too high, has been greatly
increased. Cotton goods are more
generally used than any other class
of goods by the masses of the Ameri-
can people, and every cent of duty
laid on such fabrics is an additional
tax on the people least able to pay
It..
"The Standard Oil Company is as
handsomely cared for in the Payne
bill as in the Dingley BILL" the re-
port continues, land by reason of the
provision in Paragraph 637, popular
ly known as the Joker continues
to be protected by a tariff duty of
80 per cent, which enables it to
dominate ond eyp1oit tho hmor;oop