The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-03-02
THE DUTY ON HIDES.
why the Cost of Shoes Has Ad.
vanced.

Why the Cost Of Shoes Has Ad'
vanced.
In the March American Magazine, ida
NJ Tarbell writes an article entitled
where Every Penny Counts" II is an
article which shows graphically how the
tariff operates to increase the cost Of
living for millions Of American families
which have hard enough time as II Is
to make both ends meet. No article
written in recent years makes the point
as clear as does this presentation OF Il
by Miss Tarbell. Following Is a passage
on the cost Of shoes:
"But why should shoes increase in
COST They ought 10 decrease, such has
been the extraordinary advance in shoe
machinery and in methods. Everybody
knows, too, that the industry has moth
ing to fear from the foreigner. He does
not make shoes that the American will
wear unless 1t be the rare brogan. But
in spite OF our skill and inventions,
which should make IL easier for every
body TO buy boots and shoes, we have
made II harder This hardship comes
largely from the tariff laid on hides in
1897 by the Dingley bill. And why a
tariff on hidesi Simply to compel the
American shoemaker TO pay more for
his leather. For twenty-five years hides
had been free and cheap, for South Amer
lea sent us large quantities. The shoe
dealers were taking all both markets Of
fered. But the attle-growers OF the
West raised a cry that they should have
more money for their hides, that Con-
gress should pass Law which would
compel the people to give ii to them.
In 1899 a strong appeal was made to
Mr.. Mckinley for such duty and It
is probable that he would have granted
it, so great was his reverence for the
doctrine, had not Mr.. Blaine, who was
intent on preserving what commerce we
had with South America and feared to
see the trade in hides destroyed, inter-
fered in the following emphatic note:
Washington, April 10, 1890
" Dear Mr.. McKinley:--It is a great
mistake to take hides from the free list,
where they have been for so many years.
1t is a slap in the face of the South
Americans, with whom we are trying
to enlarge our trade. It will benefit
the farmer by adding five TO eight per
cent to the price of his children's shoes.
IT viii yield profit to the butcher
tbeef trustl only, the last man that
needs it. The movement is injudieious
from beginning to end--in every form
and phase.
PLEASE stop it before It sees light.
Such movements as this for protection
viii protect the Republican party only
into speedy retirement
Very hastily,
James G.. Blaine.'
"The duty was not granted in 1890,
but in 1897 it was given. The Eastern
protectionists granted it because they
thereby could keep votes for their own
pet articles. The duty on hides is simply
another Of the innumerable bargains in
our tariff schedules. The effect of the
duty was Immediately to raise the price
of sole leather.
I'm june, 1906, W. L. Douglas, ex-
governor of Massachusetts,, shoe manu-
facturer, said in public speech that
since 1897 the increase to his company
in the price Of sole leather in single
pair of shoes had amounted to l7lb
cents. Mr.. Douglas figures that the pres.
ent tariff on hides and soles causes the
people Of this country to pay s30,000,000
a year more for shoes than is necessary,
and they pay that perhaps $4,000 stock.
raisers, herders and drovers may get
more for their cattle. But how much
have they gotten from IL? 1t was argued
that with the duty they could monopo-
lie the domestic trade and cut of the
South American trader, but that gentle
man sent us more hides in 1906 than in
any year since the duty was imposed! |
Moreover, it has not been the cattle
raiser who was chiefly or proportionately
proiited in the higher price. 1t has been
the beef trust as Mr.. Blaine said it |
would be. The cattleman has received |
no such increase in the price of his steers
as the beef men have in the price o. |
hides. In November, 1907, the Hide and
Leather Journal, commenting on the good
thing the trust had always made Of |
this particular duty, declared it was
paying stock -raisers $3.50 apiece for
,ows, and selling the hides alone for SO
apiece!"