Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-02-09
SEN. STONE SAYS
HIGH PRICE PROBE
IS TARIFF SHIELD
Declares investigators Seek to
Whitewash Payne=AIdrich
Bill in Committee.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 9.-Apropos of
the consideration of the composite
Observation-Disclosures food prices
investigation resolution, reported to the
Senate yesterday from the COMMITTEES
on financ and contingent expenses,
Senator Stone, of Missouri, today adj
dressed the lena at some length ON
the general question of food prices. He
undertook to show that the Payne
Aldrich tariff bill is largely responsible
for the enhanced price of many of he
necessaries of life.
Contrasting the delay in reporting
the Elkins resolution with the dispatch
in bringing in the Lodge measure, Mr..
Stone declared that there had been "a
vast amount of monkey business in
connection with the consideration of
the subject"
Saying he had been greatly puzzled
to know the meaning of the method Of
proceeding he declared hat 1t mad the
complexion of "a purpose to conceal
rather than to discover" II not, why,
he asked. did the Republican men-
bers of the finance committee come
rushing headlong into this business n
exhibit an over-weening anxiety to
/ AdhG Vial sc u tilC pIOppSCo lhQhii1 =
If the remarkable things lone here
have given to this business the sinis-
ter aspect of a scheme on the part of
certain senators to organize a COM
mittee that would start in primarily to
hold the Payne-Aldrich tariff law
blameless for the evils the country
complains Of, then the Senator from
Massachusetts and his Republican as
/ pnofafAr ~, tI. az, "a aa-..,ff4An L,xr.
only themselves to blame.
Accuses Senators.
rs it the purpose of the great sena-
tors who have thrown themselves into
this breach" he proceeded, TO put the
proposed investigation under the con-
troll of senators who were chiefly instru-
mental in framing the new law II
most concerned in exempting it from
all responsibility for the higher prices
which a followed its enactment? A
deep-laid apprehension to that effect
has been expressed by many ews
papers and by many people in different
parts or the country"
He said he knew of nothing which
stood in such great need of a coating
of whitewash as the tariff law. Assert
ing that there had been a rapid en-
hancement of prices since the passage
of the tariff law, he declared that
neither an increase in the demand for
food nor an increase in the gold sup-
ply could explain these advances in SO
short a time.
suggestions in a recent speech by Sell
ator Lodge, and quoting one of the
Massachusetts Senator's remarks con-
corning the gold standard, Mr.. Stone
declared that it must have been taken
from one of the 1896 speeches of Mr.,
Bryan.
In all probability, Mr.. Stone cons
tinued, Mr.. Lodge would head the COM
mittee of investigation, and Mr.. Stone
expressed apprehension that that Sem
ator would hesitate to follow out n
limo OF inquiry which might substan-
tiate Secretary Wilson's contention.
that American food products are sold
more cheaply abroad han in the uni-
ted States.
Gives High Price Figures.
Mr.. Stone quoted from letters and
newspapers to show a general increase
in the n~ecessaries of life since the en-
aotment of the Payne-Aldrich bill
Among the letters was one from q ST.
Louis merchant saying that cotton
goods had increased in price from 1919
to 33 per cent, linens TX to 10 per cent.
and on hosiery 10 per cent.
Every man of common sense ought,
he said, to know that 'the
profits accruing to investors in these
industries are the result of artificial
conditions created by law.
Il will not contend that the tariff
Is the sole cause and excuse for ex-
orbitant prices, but / do insist that q
practically prohibitive tariff, such as
we have, is at least one of the chief
causes that make exorbitant prices for
human necessities a possibility. II may
be that trusts and combinations put
up the prices; l think they do. but at
the same time l believe the old cou-
tention to be true, that a high pro-
tectiVe tariff is the mother of trusts