The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-12
HE LAYS IT TO GOLD.
Congressman Payne Explains the Rise
In Prices

Washington. D. c.. May 12-Sereno
E. Payne. author OF the tariff law
which bears hts name. entered into a
vigorous defense Of thai measure IN
the house today. He declared the Re
publican party's pledge to revise the
tariff downward had been fulfilled and
that from whatever viewpoint you look
at it. the law shows 4 reduction IN
rates, the comm ODDITIES on which the
rates were reduced represent ten times
the value Of the IUxurieS on which the
rates were ncreasd; it was q true
downward revision but the law has
been misrepresented, he said, by poI1t1-
clans with campaign capital to make,
and by tradesmeu grasDing for pef-
Misrepresentation began" declared
Mr. Payne. when the conference re-
port came in Now and then it started
from the tradeSmau who wanted TO
increase the price of his goods and
give the tariff as the reason IN
ntnety-uine cases out of hundred the
assertion was false. as the tariff had
reduced the duty on the goods he was
selling Before the bill was passed re-
taiIers of wooden goods started the
story that an Increase in the tariff had
increased the price Of their goods. Not
single increase was made in a single
rate OF duty in the whole wooden
schedule
THE first requisite Of a good tariff -
he continued. sis that L must meet
the expenditures of the government
From the day this bill went into eff
feet II has accomD DIished all that was
predicted for it.
It's Due TO Cold.
THE prices Of commodities have
been increasing for ten wears the world
over. One reason for the advance is
not only the great Increase in the
production Of gold. but the cheaper
methods Of producing T. The supply
IS greater than the demand and Is OBJ
tanned with less cost As gold is the
measure Of all values. the commodi-
ties are higher because Of its decrease
/ in value. This accounts in part for the
general increase in prices.
The increases in prices are on artic-
| les which the duty has been lowered
| by the present law or else remain
where they were under the DingIey law.
Al kinds Of farm products, meats, but
| ter, eggs, poultry, all foods. hides,
| feathers, hoes and raw cotton show re-
| ductfOus in .1uty and increased IN
prices.
1T is hardly possible to take d sin
I gle item in the tariff and show a di-
rect increase from the rates Of duty.
| Investigations into food prices show
| this coucIusiveIy. The increases in price
are fully paraIeTed by increases in the
same articles abroad. If the tariff has
| increased the cost Of living, how is it
that on April p. newspapers from
! Maine to California published tables
showing that the cost Of living is de-
creasing all along the Hne2'
Then Mr.. Payne presented q series o.
| figures and tables showing the specific
reductions made from the rates Of TIE
| DiugIey Law. He then went on to show
the increases in imports under the new
tariff comparing its first six months
results with the corresponding 1ix
months under the Dingley law He
| presented d table showing increases in
| imports ranging from 10 TO 100 per cent
in hides, iron ore. pig iron. tin plate,
machinery, leather and lumber
| The Paper Schedule
/ The press Of the country Mr. Payne
| criticised for its attitude on the pulp
paper situation with Canada He re-
/ ferred TO the duty Of s3-75 a ton iu-
I posed by the new law On print paper
| and declared:
/ I'VE are criticised because we did not
/ fix the duty at 81 a ton and close our
| paper mills in the vain hope that Can
ada might remove her embargo on ex-
I ports of wood pulp Now she is ex-
/ tending her embargo and with great
| many Of cur mills closed by strikes
/ there is 4 scarcity Of paper II is evi-
4 dent that the situation can be relieved
| only by some agreement made between
/ the executive and the Canadian au-
! thOritisS to be ratified by congress
We have then" he continued. "a
tariff law that fuIfIIs the pledges OF
I the platform, that produces sufficient
[ revenue to meet OUT expenditures The
law has brought prosperity to the
/ farmer who never in our history has
! enjoyed the prosperity he enjoys today
| It has brought prosperity TO the factory
and prosperity TO the merchant Il
/ satis1les the south as no other tariff
| ever did II is q tariff for the whole
| country and under II the people of the
| wnoIe country are enjoying prosperity