The Washington times., 1909-03-27
GLOVE TAX LAYS
BURDEN ON POOR
Payne Tariff Bill Increases
Duty Largely on Cheap
Grades.
oContinued Lon First Pagel

SIS per cent in order to get that glove
into tho country
Under the Payne bill. he viii pay a
duty Of 133 per cent TO get it in. The
duty on The poor woman's glove is
raised considerably more than 100 per
cent
Rich Woman Favored.
But the duty on the rich woman's 81
per-pair glove Is raised only from 81
10 los per cent.
Seems like curious way OF taxing
luxuries. to raise the poor woman from
IS to 1S3. while the rich woman is
raised from 81 to 10S per cent.
Take the glove which is imported i'm
larger quantities than any otner. It is
described as " ladies. lamb OF sheep.
'glace finish unlined. not over "a
inches long over 3.0O0u0O pairs are
imported of this one grade. They cost
abroad an average OF SAP per dozen
pairs. The present duty is $3.50 per
dozen The Payne bin raises that duty
to 81 per dozen. That is, from So to 80
per cent
Compare with this glove which the
poor woman wears. taxed % per cent,
the case of an expensive glove which is
described as lamb or sheep, 'glace' fin
tsh, piqUe of prix seam, stitched or en-
broidered with more than three strands
OF cords" That description will mean
something TO woman, even if not to
man. 1t will mean something even 10
the woman who never had a pair Of that
sort of gloves They cost over 81 per
pair at the manufacturers in France.
and the duty on them is now only "a
per cent. 1t is TO be raised to a by the
Payne bill.
Luxuries Let OFF Easy.
That is TO say. the poor womans glove
is taxed 80 per cent, and the rich wo-
mans glove is taxed A per cent-less
than half as much. Does il look like
a consistent program of taxing the
"luxuries Of the rich2"
This glove schedule is rich in iIlustra-
uons OF how the necessaries Of the poor
are to be made TO bear the burdens of
raising revenue, while the necessaries
Of the rich, which would be Iuxuries to
the poor, escape with a small part.
Three millions Of pairs Of the glove
taxed 80 per cent are imported annually.
only S.e0O pairs of the high-priced
glove. taxed A per cent. come in in
year. The tax on the poor woman's
glove will make a contribution Of $780,
O25 per year toward the Governments
revenues. and two or three times that
much viii 5e added 10 the cost in
order TO enable the Importer, wholesal-
er, and retailer TO handle IL. On the
other hand. the rich woman's glove,
Just described, will contribute S12,749 TO
the Governments revenue.
And this sort Of comparisons might
be carried on ad nauseam, from the
marvellous glove schedule OF this bill.
The cases cited are typical The ques-
tion Is, what caused the Payne COM
mittee to make this glove schedule in
this way?
Who is Benefited?
That. OF course. can only be explain
ed by the committee. But bit Of light
will perhaps be shed On It by the fol-
lowing letter which Representative
AdamsOn OF Georgia read into the Con-
gressional Record in a speech:
Newman, Ca, March Il, 1909.
Hon. W. g. AdamsOn, NJ g,
Washington, u. g.
Dear Sir: We desire to call your at
tentiOn- TO the schedules on kid gloves
and iinOleum in the new tariff bill just
introduced. and TO urge upon you the
importance OF opposing increases incor-
pDTated in this measure. An increase OF
tariff rates on the lower grades, espe-
cially of kid, French lamb and
SchInaschen gloves, will make them
prohibitOry Tor import. and Will put us
at the mercy OF "A Few manufacturers in
ones 10 profit by this measure. Gloves
CT this kind made IN this country are
far inferior TO the foreign-made article
The proposed schedule VIII entirely shut
out FTench-made lambskin gloves. such
as now retail at 81 per pair. and will
make the price on the better quality
50 high that their sale viii be very
linbLed- A like reason applies to limo
leu.rs, which are better made abroad.
We hope you viii use every effort %
prev ent the passage of these schedules
VERY sincerely your
p. 7. CUTTING x CO"
This letter is but sample Of many
which have been received II is a mat
Ter Of the cOmmauest knowledge that
the GloyeTsville glove Industry is the
special beneficiary expected 10 gain by
this remarkable schedule How did
Gloversville manage 10 get such excel
lent treatment
GloverSville Represented.
That, again, is one of the things thar
only the Ways and Means Committee,
presumably. could answer. But few
things are suggestive
Lucius n. LittaueT. for many years a
leading and influential member OF Con
Eress, IS the recognized mead Of the
great Gloyersville glove-making indus
Try.
He stands for it in all its relations 10
public affairs He was known I'm Con-
EINbb dS us representative III was MS
special concern, and his great fortune
represents investment On IL.
Mr.. Littauer is one Of the closest per-
sonaI and political intimates Of the
present organization which controls the
House.
AS a member Of Congress he was one
Of the recognized spokesmen Of Joseph
O.. Cannon.
he was one of the men WhO made
Cannon Speaker. and one of~the most
effective Representatives Of the Cannon
group IN all political affairs. He rs q
politician Of great influence IN New
York.
When the great fight over the 'elec-
tion Of Speaker Cannon and the re-
adoption Of the Cannon rules OF the
House started a few weeks ago, Mr.
Iittauer was early sent for. He hur-
med on 10 Washington. and was one
OF the group of inside mana gers FOR
Speaker Cannon and the old rules
throughout the fight. 40 longer "A
member Of Congress. ne used his per
sOnal acquaintance and influence mos
effectively. TO no man does the present
managerial clique owe more for its re-
tention I'm control What induced Mr.
Littauer TO work so hard for the Ole
cOntrOl2
Nobodx- knows - ,,a ftiofiero doffhtlece