Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-24
TO REST Until.
MONDAY FOR A
TARIFF REPORT
CONTINUED From Page u

Dakota. They told the president that
they represented states where the cat
tie industry was large and that, while
they stood with him for downward re-
vision, they could not accept the plan
of making hides free and putting
nigh duty on the finished product OF
hides. That, they said, would give the
benefits of the tariff wholly to New
England and the east. If the finished
products were reduced in duty SO that
the consumer would get some Of the
benefits they would stand by the pres
ident as to free hides, although much
against their wishes and those OF
their constituents.
President Taft then made the i'm
portant statment that he was receiv-
ing from tanneries and leather men
considerable encouragement toward a
reduction Of the finished products and
the understanding of the visitors was
that in few days the president would
be able to present to the conference
a practical statement from the great
leather interests Of the country for a
substantial reduction from the lowest
rates of the senate or house in the
goods put on the market by them.
Cummins Issues Statement.
Empha sizing the Importance of in
sisting upon reductions IN the duties
on manufactures as we'll as on raw
material, Senator Cummins of Iowa
has made public a statement which is
accepted as representing the views of
at least majority of the progressive"
Republican senators relative to the
present situation with regard to the
tariff bill.
Il tndorse every word of the state
ment recently made by the president,
and earnestly hope that he will be sue
views" says Mr.. Cummins, who then
calls attention to the fact that especial
emphasis has been placed upon the So
called raw materials.
Fight Is Broad One.
II feel compelled" Mr.. Cummins
continues. ito remind the public that
neither the presidents statement nor
our fight was so confined While 1t is
Of the utmost importance that iron ore,
oil, hides and coal be dealt with as
proposed by the executive, 1t is Of still
greater Importance that the duties on
manufactured products shall be brought
down somewhere near the protective
point. :.
"It will be Of little advantage to the
body of the people to do away with
unnecessary duties upon raw materials
If the manufacturers are permitted to
enjoy the excessive duties that enable
them to take extortionate profits upon
the things that the people must buy
and USE
Instancing the most prominent fea-
lures of the senate bill which he thinks
should be amended, Mr.. Cummins
says:
Those who have been contending
for lower duties can afford to surrend-
er a part of their just demands If they
can, in the main, obtain the reductions
which insure the people against undue
prices in the chief commodities of
commerce."
Outlines His Objections.
The senator then outlined his prin-
cipal objections to the bill as it left
the senate. He declared the reductions
in the steel schedule generally not suf-
lf1cient but the schedule might be ac-
cepted but for the increase on struc-
tural iron and STEEL
structural iron and steel. the use
)of which Is so rapidly increasing"
said Mr.. Cummins, sis raised from the
Dingley rate Of $40 a ton and the house
rate of Sc a ton to As per cent ad valor-
EN-, which at the present price for this
commodity means a duty of SIG ton in
an increase over the present law of So
a ton and over the house provision of
$40 ton.
when 1t is considered that the duty
on steel rails is $3.50 a ton, and their
market price is s2S ton. the proposed
duty upon form of steel which sells
for S35 per ton Is wholly indefensible.
!, Free iron ore is desirable thing, but
when the welfare of the consumer is
taken into account 1t would be vastly
| better If fair rate could be secured on
but one of these items, to allow the
duty on iron ore to go at 20 cents a
ton, and cut the duty on structural
\ ~ ~ n n
erlv belongs, and where it would still
furnish complete protection for home
producers, measured by the Republican
standard.
! In the Lumber Schedule.
'In the lumber schedule IL both
rough and dressed lumber are not free,
as they ought to be, the house rate of
81 on rough lumber should be preserv-
ed, and the differential upon dressed
lumber should begin at % cents per
thousand and not go beyond 60 cents
per thousand
'In the paper schedule the house
rate Of 81 a ton ON print paper without
the possibility Of increasing 1t by coun-
tervailing duty. and free wood pulp,
also protected against countervail-
ing duty, should be rigidly insisted
upon.
I'm the cotton schedule the senate
increases from beginning to end should
be rejected and. while I believe that
| there should be reductions In this
schedule. the people might be willing
to stand for the house rate, barring of
course, the hosiery increases.
| Woolen Schedule Wrong.
''The wooden schedule, with respect
to the compensatory duties to manu-
| facturers, is manifestly wrong, and the
artificial and arbitrary plan of esti-
mating the relation between unwash-
ed and secured wool is grossly absurd.
The wool grower is sacrificed in order
to give undue protection to the worsted
wool manufacturer. The whole sched-
ule is SO indefensible that readjust-
! ment seems imperative, even though
to accomplish 1t the conference report
must be voted down and the bill
brought before the senate again for
| amendment.
Our platform and our pledges en-
brace every dutiable commodity, and
we should apply the same criterion
from the first to the last. 1t will be
most unfortunate if, in trying to give
relief to the rank and file Of our peo-