The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-08-14
DEFENDED THE TARIFF LAW.

In the few minutes allotted 20 him
at the outing of the Young Mems Re
publican club at Saltair, Senator
SmoOt made a vigorous defense Of the
new tariff law, and ventured the pre-
diction that within eight years there
will be a demand for still higher du-
ties.
The largely increased impOrtations
OF raw materials and partly manu-
featured products from Europe go far
to justify the prediction Of the senior
Utah senator. for American labor has
been displaced by reason of these in
creased impOrtauons leaving the pro-
Queer, upon whom great part Of the
loss falls. out of the question.
Senator Smoot, being a member
Of the Senate committee on finance,
is familiar with the facts and figures,
and when he says that misrepresenta-
tation has cost the wool growers of
the country S4O,0OO,0OO in the past
year. his assertion must be accepted
as the gospel truth, for it would be
foolish man who would attempt TO call
in question any figures given by Ssna-
tor SmoOt.
The wool schedule is under fire,
however and the Democrats and in
surgents are doing their dirtiest TO Kill
Utah's greatest industry. But sched-
ule X does not lack defenders. Ar
thur J. Dodge. in the American Econ
omist, takes this view of the situation:
Senators La Toilette. Cummins and
others Of the Insurgents in Con-
gress were especially insistent
upon smashing the wool and
wooden goods schedule. In view
of these facts, II Is noteworthy
that even with the retained
duties OF the Dingley tariff the
increase in Imports of raw wool
since tine new tariff law Went
into effect amounted 10 more
than six million dollars worth,
while the imports OF wooden
cloths and dress goods alone. In
the wooden goods schedule,
amounted TO more than four mil
lion dollars worth
In other words, even the duties of
the Dingley tariff which the In
surgents so vigorously denounced
have failed to come anywhere
market To the domestic wool
growers and wooden manufac-
turers These are facts which,
like the principles of the Ohio
Republican platform of this year,
will be exceedingly troublesome
to the Insurgents and other
critics of the new tariff law IN
the western states.
Justice, Bateman and Company, the
Philadelphia wool-buying firm, in
recent circular to the trade. also takes
note Of the attack upon the wool
schedule, but expresses the belief that
in the end justice will prevail IN spite
Of the slanderous utterances OF the
/ free traders. The circular says:
The wool schedule was not changed.
is still in force and will con-
tinue- and when this fright is
over. its previous tariff lifting
influence will again operate.
The unpOpularity, with consumers, or
Schedule X. is due largely 10 the
selfish action OF retailers. who
took advantage OF a worldwide
increase in the prices or com
mOdities TO blame the tariff for
the higher cost of living. This
occurred here on commodities
upon which the duties had been
reduced or entirely removed, and
occurred abroad 10 an even great
er extent where there was no
tariff
The truth in time will prevail. The
wool schedule was not reduced
in the last revision, because the
majority IN Congress had made
most exhaustive examination
of Schedule X.
/ II was shown 10 them that in 1888
when the labor cost of growing
wool was less than il is today,
a reduction OF only cent a
pound below the present duty
caused a decrease of One-siXth in
! the rumber Of sheep and lambs.
IL was thus evident that IL would
/ be impossible TO reduce the pres
ent duties without again destroy
ing the flocks as heretofore, and
/ ultimately causing a decrease in
/ the supply OF meat food and
/ clothing with a certain increase
TO the consumer in the cost Of
! both.
/ Senator SmoOt knows, and the
= other members OF the finance commit
+ tee know, the full extent of the base