The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-06-09
OUR LAWMAKERS
AT WASHINGTON
The Senators Are Still Talking on
the TarifY-When VIII it End?

fident that congress will respect
the reasonable request made by the
hosiery manufacturers and opera
tives and give an increased measure
of protection to this industry" said
Senator Jacob H. Gallinger of New
Hampshire, to-day.
mo incident connected with the
present struggle over the tariff has
been more interesting to me-" said
the New Hampshire senator, than
this one relating to the duties on
hosiery. | am protectionist, and
believe that one of the best feat
ures of protective tariff system,
such as we have had during the
past dozen years under the Dingley
law, is that it justifies itself by
giving work and increased wages to
American people, and establishes
the industries that are given en-
couragement by duties to enter into
and supply the American markets.
The history of our tariff furnishes
abundant evidences of the value of
the system. We all remember the
creation of protective duties for the
tin plate industry. We are now
called upon to give encouragement
to struggling domestic industry
engaged in making hosiery. l be-
lieve congress will do it, and that
the result, within a short space of
time, will be less foreign imports
of hosiery, more work and better
wages for the men and women in
our hosiery factories. and no in
crease in the retail prices of the
class of Hosiery which the great ma
jority of our people buy and wear"
Senator Gallinger asserted that
he has a special concern about the
real needs of the hosiery industry
because there are many hosiery mills
in New Hampshire. The fact is
that the industry in my home state
is languishing on account of the
tremendous competition of foreign
imports of hosiery. | have advices
regarding two of the leading hosi-
cry mills in the state showing that
they are able to run upon half time
or less, and unless relief speedily
comes the enterprising men engaged
in efforts to operate these plants,
will be obliged to shut them down.
What this will mean to the working
men and women must be obvious to
every person who has any knowl-
edge of what depression and idle
mills mean to wage earners every
where.
Il cannot believe that American
people who buy hosiery are willing
to buy foreign made goods when
goods made at home by our own
people can be obtained at reasonable
prices II the domestic industry is
given fair measure of protection" j"
said Senator Gallinger. I'VE all re-
member what hue and cry went up
over the country, encouraged in
large part by the importers and re-
tail dealers, about increased prices
to follow giving protection to tin
piare manufacturing in the country.
No such advances came to vex our
people. But under the protection
given by the laws of congress we
have established tin plate industry
giving investment to millions OF
dollars in capital and disbursing
millions of dollars annually in
wages to our working people.
Let us do the same with hosiery.
The goods will not cost more, soon
they will be much better than the
imported goods, and American work
ers will receive employment and
good wages from a firmly establish
ed industry in thirty or more states
of the American Union"
American women have shifted
their position on the hosiery ques-
ton, which has stirred the Ways and
Means and Finance Committees of
Congress. When the subject first
came up thousands of women petit
toned congress in protest against
increased hosiery duties. The same
women are now sending in protests
against the continued admission of
foreign hosiery to compete with the
products of women operatives and
the mill workers generally in the
hosiery industry of the country.
The members of the senate FL
nance Committee are receiving
IHOuSdHuS Ol leJLeTS ana postal CARDS
from the women who originally
signed the petitions to the House of
Representatives against the increased
hosiery duties. These protests are
coming at an opportune time, in
view of the fact that the Finance
Committee and the senate are soon
to enter upon the consideration of
the cotton goods schedule.
The young women operatives in
American hosiery mills have been
industrious in promoting their side
OF the case and pointing out the
weakness of the importers side.
They have accomplished much in
bringing about a reversal of the
position originally taken by the
leading society women in many
cities in protesting against the in
crease of hosiery duties. 1t is rec
ognized by members of the Finance
Committee that even SO much of the
result, in connection with the hosi-
l.