The Washington times., 1909-04-07
TAXED LUMBER AND FREE
HIDES: THE EXPECTED. ,

SSh'iAu0hI AOi uoWuW6rd revision
has from the beginning been a consum-
ers' sentiment. 1t was strongest in the
Middle West. That section was espe-
cially insistent for free lumber.
But there was also considerable
sentiment in that territory in favor of
retaining the tariff on hides. 1t was
chiefly manufactured sentiment, for in
reality The demand for continuation of
the tariff on hides is not very strong
in that region. 1t is pretty well I'M
derstood now that the packers trust
gets the chief benefit from this duty.
If the farmer gets any, it is a negligible
share
however, members of Congress who
preferred to be regular" were impress
ed with the demand at home for the
hide tariff, and at length enough of
them consented to rule to permit its
adoption, because it promised them
vote on hides and lumber. What do
they get for their palms,
Exactly what was foreeasted. They
ore defeated on both propositions. They
fail to get free lumber, and they are
voted out of their duty on hides.
It is fine example of how selfshness
defeats its own ends in this game. If
the hide people had said on Monday:
Take along our hide duty; we don't
need il, and we know it's a fraud any
bp44. dousf fvv % 15.i-o- ...4l -
that, for you can't do it." they would
have been able to force several more
concessions in the committees rule.
Hides got enough of them in to carry
the rule; lumber got some more; be.
tween The two, the Westerners were
lnviegied into the regular camp and the
organization got its rule Then the or
ganization defeats them on both propo-
sitions, and they find on awakening
that they have gained nothing what
ever.
OF course, there is still the chance
for winning on their prospects in the
House on Friday, and il the Senate
later. But TO date the record is made
up, and it shows that the people who
yielded and allowed that rule to be
brought in have been handsomely beat
en- under it.
1t is too much to hope that members
Of Congress in any considerable mum
Der will ever learn to take wider view
of the question of schedules than the
boundaries of their various districts.
Apparently they would rather make a
record" for home consumption, OF
standing by some nome interest, real
or imaginary, than to accomplish some
real benefits
A lot OF men who have made records
of voting for something they didn't get
and knew they couldn't get, might
have got something If they had voted
for results and not records It is an
insult to the intelligence of any CON
Ftituency TO believe ~ will be dense
enough not to see this point
Take a Representative from Nebras-
ka, who voted for the House rule on
Tuesday, because it promised votes on
lumber and hides. His district wanted
free lumber and taxed hides IF he
had not been 50 anxious to vote himself
q record of standing by the home in
dustry, he would have held out, opposed
10 the rule. and helped few others OF
the same mind to force the Rules Com
mittee to include votes on hosiery
gloves, woolens, and spices in the rule
He would have been able to win sub
stantial benefits for his district: very
real and substantial benefits.
As it is he gets absolutely nothing
save a record"
Which would his people prefer, cheap
er lumber, hosiery, woolens, spices, and
linens, or the sounding brass and tink-
ling cymbal of a vote for the home
industry" which was foredoomed to de-
feat? We opine that if the average
constituency could be made to see the
facts exactly as they are, the mortality
in next years contest for return tickets
10 Washington would be something 10
stagger politicians.
But this is the inevitable incident of
tariff revision under the present sys-
tenn. 1t is half log-rolling and half
confidence game. The whole business
ought TO be taken out of the hands OF
Congress and turned over TO tariff
commission of big, able, broad minded
men, freed from local narrowness and
prejudiees and interests, who would
make a tariff for the country and keep
it adjusted to the needs of the country
as whole. The tariff commission Of
fers the only plan for getting the bust
ness on business basis. If as an in.
rident to the present revision tariff