Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-08-18

Senator Johnson and Senator Nc
Cumber voted for the Payne tariff bill
as it finally passed, although neither
senaeor gave his unpalified approval
to the bill. There were features both
North Dakota senators desired TO
have incorporated, but 1t was found
impossible to get them included AS
republicans and following the lead
and desires of President Taft, the
North Dakota senators supported the
bill as being in the main for down.
ward revision, and as opening the
way for the reduction in the future.
In a speech before the senate on
August 3, Senator McCumber set forth
his views of the bill and his address
should be carefully read by the peo-
pie of the state who will find 1t a
clear and intelligent exposition Of the
bill and the conditions surrounding
it's passage Senator McCumber said:
Mr.. President, so little of truth and
so much of falsehood has gone out to
the country concerning the rates OF
duty imposed by this tariff bill that
feel it appropriate now, as we are
about to vote upon the adoption or
the conference report, to present to
the public statement as concise as
possible showing just what this tarin
revision means.
Everywhere throughout the country
we find a general belief that the re-
vision of the tariff all along the line
has been an upward revision. No
hou h
lished. There have been very few
raises, and those for the most part are
on articles that are Least purchased,
articles of luxury. There have been
very many reductions, and the reduc-
lions for the most part are on articles
that are purchased generally and
which could in no sense be declared
Injuries.
Those things which the great bulk
of the people purchase generally are
not Injuries. Those which only a
small percentage of the people can at
ford to purchase may be called by
that name. Applying this rule of di-
vision to reductions and increases, we
will find that we have reduced the
tariff. on the basis of goods imported,
TO the amount of $4,a1 ,813,175. The
duties have been increased on goods
amounting to $S78, 756,074. In other
words, the reductions are five and
two-thirds times greater than the in
creases on all goods, including lux
uries.
Most of these advances are on i'm
ported champagnes and other wines
and liquors and other articles of lux
ury to the value of 1861, 903,594.
Deducting the amount of wines and
liquors and other luxuries on which a
raise has been had and which are
purchased almost exclusively by the
wealthy, who are able to pay the
revenues, we have the following:
Tariff decreases on goods amount
ing to $4,951 $751; tariff increases
On goods (other than liquors and lux
uriss) $240,S52,525.
The decrease outside of champagne
and other liquors and luxuries is
twenty-one times greater than the in
creases, considering the value of the
goods upon which the duties operate.
These figures stand a clear refuta-
ton to the false claim that this tariff
bill is an increase instead of re-
duction Of duties on the bulk of the
articles purchased by the American
people.
I shall not stop to show what is the
moving force that is back of all OF
this erroneous literature which seeks
to give the public so much of the false
and so little of the truth. We know
generally that the country press, for
the most part, gets it's information as
well as its inspiration from the great
city press; that the press of the large
cities is supported from the heavy ad-
vertising of the stores and importers;
THAT the department stores and i'm
porters are always on the side of the
lowest possible duties. and exercise
their power and influence for ever
greater reductions. Whether the
great city press is actuated by the de-
sire of those who furnish the adver'
Using upon which it's financial success
depends,or Influenced by the growing
spirit of the day to assault everything
rather than to present fair, simple,
sad plain statement, is immaterial in
this case. The fact remains that the
public have been greatly misinformed
as to the effect of this bill in increas-
ing or reducing rates of duty. I am
not saying that there may not be
some items of duty which have not
been brought down as low as possible
consistent with proper protection, but
on the vast majority Of things which
are purchased by the people, outside
of the wooden and the cotton sched-
ules, there has been a good substan-
tian reduction, and the cotton and
WOODEN schedules are. substantially
the same as in the old law.
There has been a general change
from ad valorem to specific duties.
Most Senators agree that this should
be done wherever possible. So many
frauds are perpetrated under the ad
valorem system that all countries are
changing to the imposition of specific
duties wherever possible. The weak