The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1909-07-22

lumber and lead products are materi-
ally lower than those of the senate.
On cotton goods the house retains the
Dingley rates as applied by the courts.
The senate. under the pretext OF re-
storing the original Dingley rates,
has materially increased them above
the rates now collected. On certain
articles in the glass and steel sche-
dulles and on gloves and hosiery, the
senate rates are lower than those i'm
posed by the house, and the senate
has amplifed the house provision for
free works OF art. Cocoa, dutiable
under the house bill, has been trans
ferred by the senate TO the free list.
While no accurate compilation is
available. an experts opinion is that
with over ninety per cent of the Inn
ports the house bill either leaves the
duties untouched or raises them. And
this review of the bill ignores the
possibility Of material increases
should the maximum provisions go
into effect against one or more OF
the larger nations of Europe. Should
France or Germany be penalized, the
result would be a material increase
over the duties OF the existing law.
What. now, would be the effect of
having the reduction Of both bills in
the final law? Broadly speaking, the
important articles of daily use in the
household-sugar, cotton, wooden.
and linen goods. of which $500, GOO 900
worth are imported yearly-would
not be affected. The light brown
ugars once so widely used, but
which, through a Joker" had been
excluded. would still be barred.
Clothing would not be reduced in
price, though there might be an i'm
privement in the quality of shoes as
a result of free hides. Possibly there
might be a slight reduction in the
price of certain oil products as a result
of free petroleum. though the Stan
dard Oil company is powerful abroad
as well as at home. AS a result OF
reductions of lumber there might be
a slight effect on the price. The cuts
in steel would prove of benefit to
manufacturers. 1t is IN this schedule
to lumber-that the most
thoroughgoing revision has been
Whether the reductions are
sufficient to permit foreign competi
ton only steel manufacturers know.
There remains to be considered the
revenue feature of the proposed bill.
With IN Inheritance tax producing
Chairman Payne, Of the
ways and ear committee, estimated
n deficit of $4,000. 900 for 1910 under
original bill. Under the bill as it
left the house, with the revenue from
tea missing, this deficit would have
been practically doubled. Chairman
Aldrich, of the committee on finance,
admitted a large deficit for 1910 under
the new bill, but believed that by
1911. by cutting appropriations, the
government would make both ends
meet. To provide against this deficit,
President Taft urged the imposition
of a two per cen excise tax on the
net earnings of corporations, and
the measure has now been i%ncorpora-
ted into the senate bill.
What the republican party promis-
ed in it's platform YVES 1.-The imposi-
ton of such duties as will equal the
between the cost of pro-
duction at home and abroad, together
with a reasonable profit for American
industries. This promise has ap-
parently been ignored in many cases,
for the very simple reason that it was
impossible under the conditions to
accumulate the necessary data. But
the republican campaign was not
made on the platform as framed, but
on the platform as interpreted by the
presidential candidate. This inter
probation was "a substantial revision
"The Dingley tariff"
Mr.. Taft said at Cincinnati, Septem-
Der %, has served the country we'll,
but its rates have become generally
excessive" The president has stead
lily refused, however, to interfere
while congress was at work on the
He has assumed that his
views were known and that it was
to emphasize them. Now
the presidents influence is limited to
the narrow field Of the conference.
AS a result Of that influence it is pos
sible that a better measure than either
the Payne or the Aldrich bill may be
upon.
Such a law might include cuts of
perhaps 80 per cent on steel imports
at $4,000, 900; Of so per cent