Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-12
DEFENDS THE TARIFF
Payne Exploits the Law Bear
ing His Name.
SAYS 1T LOWERED DUTIES
Declares It Not Responsible for
Higher Prices.
TREATMENT OF PRINT PAPER
Asserts That Rate Was Cut to Low
est Point Compatible With
Canadian Competition.

Defending the PayneAidrich tariff bill
as 1.-The best tariff law ever enacted"
Representative Serene Payne, republican
floor leader, made a two-hour speech in
the House today in defense Of that
measure.
After uOting the republican platform
declaration with respect to revision. re-
viewing the work of the ways and means
committee, of which he is chairman. and
declaring that ''in the conference COM
mittee the House gained its contentious
far more than in any other tariff bill
ever passed" Mr.. Payne spoke at length
of the constant misrepresentation" to
which the law had been subjected.
Now and them" he said, this mis-
representation started from the trades
man who was anxious to increase the
price of his goods and who gave as
reason the new tariff law. In 80 cases
out of 100 the assertion was falsely
made that the tariff increased the duty
upon the particular goods he was selling.
although in fact the tariff had reduced
these duties. Before the conference re-
port was adopted and the bill passed the
retailers of woOlen goods started the
story that large increase in the rates
had actually made a large increase in
the price of their goods. Hardly yet Is
the country aware that not a single In
crease was made in single rate or
duty in the whole woolen schedule. 1t
was only a week ago that a retail shoe
dealer in Washington gave as reason
for an advance on a bill for children'S
shoes that the tariff law had raised the
rate of duty. Upon being confronted
fr-N Ah@% ~ =
item the law had reduced the rate of
duty so per cent he was driven to an &C
acknowledgement Of his error
Producer of Revenue.
The majority leader insisted that the
first requisite of a good tariff law was
that it should raise sufficient revenue to
meet the expenditures of the government.
I'm this respect" he said, 1.-The present
law has accomplished all that was pre-
dicted for it. For months the amount of
daily receipts from the day the bill be-
came a law, August last, has shown
for the whole period surplus over the
daily expenditures. We expect also to
realize 25OOO,OOO receipts from the cor
poration tax. unless the Supreme Court
shall declare the tax unconstitutional"
1t was frankly admitted by Mr.. Payne
that there were some increases made In
the Payne-Aldrich law.
I'VE make no apologies, he said, "fOr
the increase on wines and liquors and
other luxuries. No fair-minded citizen
will criticize one of them. There were
also some increases in the cotton
schedule, made necessary by the
protection of the industry, in accordance
with the principles of the republican
platform.
"But the great bulk Of the changes
was in the way OF reduction of duties,
nd 11o ct Ofs,< 4nl~
at it the law shows a reduction in
rates."
Says Rates Were Lowered.
According to Mr.. Payne, the most
persistent slander against the law is on
the question Of downward revision.
1.-The minority leader" he said, lin
dulges in it when he says that the
rates are per cent higher than the
Dingley rates. He takes no account
Of the millions Of dollars worth of ar
ticles transferred to the free list. But
the free list is a part of the imports
of the country, and a test that does not
take into account the free list is no
criterion
Mr.. Payne then gave figures to show
that on an ad valOrem basis the new
law had reduced rates II per cent,
while on a dutiable and free basis the
rates had been reduced 17.6 per cent.
1.-The duties have been reduced he
said, ION articles of necessary cOnSump-
ton, of which more than $5,CUOt0,O00
were consumed. The increases were on
SJ19,Okt.OCJ of articles consumed, the bulk
OF which were luxuries, such wines
and liquors; but on articles of voluntary
use only S.s&,.0jD,OoU of this amount were
consumed. This statement which 1 have
previously made has been denounced.
but no one has dared to declare that it
is false IN any particular. 1t stands as
an unanswered argument to snow tnat
this was a downward revision OF the
tariff"
The sugar schedules in the bill were
discussed at some length by Mr.. Payne.
sugar is recognized in all tariffs as
a great revenue producer, he said: W.
put it on the free list in the Mckinney
law to get rid of the revenue. OF which We
had a great surplus. We needed the
revenue from sugar in this law and we
cut down no part of the duty except on
sugar coming from the Philippine Is
lands, which We made free and the re-
finers' duty"
Increase in Prices.
Declaring that the prices of commodi-
ties have been increasing yearly for ten
years all over the world. Mr.. Payne in
sisted that it was foolish to blame such
increases as have occurred since the en-
actment of the new tariff law, last Au-
gust, on that measure.
THE opponents of this law are ready
to jump at the conclusion" he said that
the increases have been on account OF
the law, and they have blamed 1t for all
advances in prices. A little rehect1On IL
showing them the error Of their way. one
reason for the advance in prices, now al
most universally conceded. is not only the
increase in the production of gold, but
the cheaper methods Of it's production.
The supply Is even greater than the de-
mand. and this supply is obtained with
less cost. AS 1t Is the measure or all
values. the commodities are higher on
account of it's decrease In value.
"All this accounts in part for the gen.
eral increase in prices the world over.
and especially in those countries on a
gold basis. When We come to look at
| the tariff for this increase we find the
| increases in prices are upon articles on
which the duties have been lowered In
the present law. or where they remain ex-
| actly at the same figure as In the Dtngley
| law. All kinds Of farm produce. meats
| butter. eggs. poultry. all food products
hides. leather, shoes. raw cotton show
reductions I'm duties and increase In price. II
| Discussing the lumber and iron and
| steel schedules, Mr.. Payne called atten-
| ton to the fact that articles under this
\ classification had suffered no reduction
| in price, although the duties were almost
uniformly lowered.
| 1T is hardly possible" he said. Ito
| take a single item included in the present
! tariff schedules and show direct in
| crease resulting from an increased duty.
Investigations into food prices conclusive
| (Continued on Twelfth Page.l