Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-26
BristoW Declares Cotton Duties
Raised in Interest of Mar
ket Gamblers
SPECULAT0RS REAP HARVEST
Kansas Senator Ayers Legitimate
Manufacturers Did Not
Want Duty Advanced
ASSOCIATED Press)

TOPEKA, July 25.-In an address
here tonight United States Senator j.
L. Bristow declared that United States
Senator Aldrich forced All increase in
the cotton tariff schedules when the
cotton manufacturers in his city were
not asking for it. Senator Bristow
charged that the increases were made
to boom the stock market.
ut Is interesting to know" declared
Senator Bristow, "why Mr.. Aldrich
insisted upon increased cotton duties
when the mill owners and manufac-
turers testified in the hearings before
the ways and means committee that
they were not needed. But an exami-
nation of stock issues of the United
States for the year 1909 furnished the
reason. These increases were not made
for the protection of any legitimate
manufacturing enterprises in the
United States, but to boom the stock
market. Last year there were issued
$50, 900, 900 additional cotton and woolen
stocks, 1864 100000 that had been pre-
viously authorized but not issued,
and s26,00O,O00 Of new stocks. .
How much of this stock represented
actual investment 1 am not advised,
but under the impression that these
increased duties on cotton goods and
the maintenance of the excessive duty
on woolens would give at least tenn
porary impetus to the business, these
stocks found market.
HELPED ONLY GAMBLERS
$50 these increases, driven through
by Mr.. AIdrich, were In the interests
of the stock gambling element and
spectators, and not in the interests Of
legitimate manufacturing enterprises.
The duty on cotton goods valued at
moro than cents a square yard was
NR 70
cent in the face of the testimony of II.
P. Lippitt, representative of the Cotton
Manufacturers Association of New
England. before the ways and means
committee that the cotton manufac-
turers did not want any increased
schedule. All they asked was that the
duties be not reduced, but remain the
same. In his testimony Mr.. Lippitt
said:
"'Well I am not appearing here to
ask for an increase in the duties on the
cloth clauses of the cotton schedule.
I think that while there are importa-
tions going on under them, the impor-
tations are not so large that we feel
justified in asking that the duties be
increased; but we would not like TO see
them decreased, as we believe that any
decrease would certainly result in very
much larger importations, and a great
deal more Of our cotton being manu-
featured abroad and shipped back as
finished goods"
Continuing, Senator Bristow said:
''This method of tariff legislation is
almost as reprehensible as the In
crease in the duties on lead and rub
ber
1.-THE wooden schedules carried on
the ordinary wooden fabrics of ladies'
dress goods duties ranging from 115
to 145 per cent; on woolen blankets
from 118 to 165 per cent, and on other
wooden clothes and fabrics used by
every family duties usually as extrava-
giant. No attempt was made to ascer-
tain the difference in the cost of pro-
duction on these fabrics at home and
abroad, but imperative demand was
made by Senator Aldrich that the
wooden schedule not be touched, de-
claring it to be the keystone of the
productive arch"
Fred S. Jackson, attorney general
of Kansas. and progressive candidate
for Congress against Congressman j.
S. N. Miller, discussed Congressman
Miller's efforts to secure temperance
legislation.
Mr. Jackson charged that Miller was
a supporter of Speaker Cannon and
that Cannon was not in sympathy with
the efforts of the temperance people
of the country.