Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-05-13
STILL LAUNDERING
At THE SCHEDULES
SENATORS DISCUSS GLASS BUS
MESS AND RETAIL PRICES
AND PROFITS.
WILLIAM ALDEN SMITH 81 s
HE VOTED FOR DINGLEY
RATES, NO APOLOGY.

w dSUIUSlOHs May SUBSTANCE
progress was made in the considera-
ton Of the tariff bill yesterday,
amendments Of the committee on
finance being upheld by the senate
by substantial majorities.
The feature Of the days session
was the general discussion concern
ing the great disparity between the
wholesale and retail prices Of com
modit'es. Republican senators de-
cIared this difference was 50 great as
to demonstrate that the duty levied
by the protective tariff had small Ell
feet on the price paid by the con
sumner.
This feature of the discussion was
precipitated by Senator Scott, HIM
SELF a. glass manufacturer. On his
desk were several pieces Of glass
ware. which he used to emphasize his
position on the .ariff.
There" he said, is a half gallon
pitcher we sell for ninety cents a
dozen. It sells at retail for about
FORTY cents piece" Tumblers
which sold for $3.50 a dozen when ne
first went into the glass business now
sell at eleven cents a dozen, he said;
gobIots that once commanded s.
dozen now sell for - cents a dozen
eff We keep on we will soon be
paying people to carry this glass ware
away he added.
Senator Hale took advantage Of Mr..
SCOTS exhibition to make a point IN
support OF the protective policy as
whole. He said the present debate
should do much to convince the PEG
pie that the policy OF protection has
no relation to the high retail prices
prevailing in this country.
senator Flint cited an instance OF
q set Of HayiIand china which cost
after all import duties ana other eX-
pensos were paid $lo89. Yet the re
taller i'm this country got $36 FOR it.
Another article hat costs II cents to
import sold at retail at $3.50. Sena-
TOR Smoot cited razors, the wholesale
price on which was $3.50 a dozen,
which sold for s. each to the con
sumner. Gloves, he said, manufac-
urod for $40 per dozen. sold for 81
per pair or $2i dozen. These high
prices. ne said. had nothing to 40 with
The protective tariff because, com
pared with the retail prices, the tar
in charge was small. Mr.. MCLaUrin
defended the retail dealers against
the charge Of extortion, saying the re
taicrs would lose their trade if they
undertook to charge too much. He
SAID h 'eh prices result from the tar
fff
The discussion continued on these
lines at some length until the window
glass schedule was reached. Senator
Cummins offered several amendments
to this schedule. saying they were in
tended to prevent in the future any
combination among the manufacturers
or others in that industry from put
ting up prices. He said that at this
time the domestic price of such glass
is less than the duty added to the
cost of manufacturing the product. so
that competition was fixing the price
TO the consumer.
An animated colloQuy occurred be-
tween the Iowa senator and Senator
William Alden Smith, the latter de
claring that the senator from Iowa
was in a position to make good a
campaign promise to reduce the Gus
toms duty which he did noc feel IN
der obligation to do.
Il voted for the Dingley bill said
MI Smith. land I have no apology TO
make for that vote The senator
from Iowa fears some possible com
Dination among the glass manufactur-
ers in the future wishes to bring the
foreign manufacturer a little nearer
his American competitor and I do
not"
Action on the window glass sched-
ule was not completed yesterday,
The schedule covering the products
of lead were passed over upon the
suggestion of Mr.. AIdrich because, he
said. the finance committee desires TO
make some changes in the duties as
previously recommended.