Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-14

| standard Of living of the wagc-ea earners
OF this country. who are the most d.
rect beneficiaries of the protective sys-
| tcm. Between the United States and
INC philippines We believe in a free In
| terchangc of products. with such limi-
'auons as to sugar and tobacco as
| VIII afford adequate protection to do
nestle interests"
DID REVISE THE TARIFF.
We did revise the tariff 1t is impos-
sible TO revise the tariff without awak
eninG the active participation in the
| formation of the schedules of those pro-
duccrs whose business Will be affected
| by change. This Is the inherent diff
llculty in the revision or adoption Of
tariff by our representative system.
Nothing was expressly said in the plat
form that this revision was to be A
downward revision. The Implication
that II was to be generally downward.
how ever, was fairly given by the fact
that those who uphold a protective tariff
system defend 1t by the claim that aft
or an industry has been established by
shutting out foreign competition the
domestic competition Will lead to the
reduction in price so as to make the
| original high tariff unnecessary.
In the new tariff there were 654 de-
creases. 220 increases, and 1150 items
OF the dutIable list unchanged, but this
did not represent the fair proportion in
most of the reductions and the In
creaSes because the duties were de-
creased on those articles which had a
consumption value of nearly s.. .000. .000,-
000 while they were increased on
| those articles which had n consumption
value OF less than $1,000 0oo. 900. OF
the Increases. the consumption value
of those affected, which are of luxur-
lna
fumerlcs and like articles. amounted
to nearly 5000, coo. 900 while the increase
not on articles of luxury affected was
but 5000 100000 of consumption,
l repeat therefore, that this was
downward revision. 1t was not down
ward with reference to silks or liquors
or high-priced cottons In the nature
of luxuries. 1t was downward in re-
spect to nearly all other articles cox
cept woolens which were not affected
at all Certainly it WAS not promised
that the rates of luxurics should be
reduced. The revenues were falling
on there was a deficit promised and
1t was essential that the revenues
should be increased. 1t was no viola
tlon of the promise to increase tho
revenues by increasing the tax on lux
uries. provided there was downward
revision on all other articles.
ONE SUBSTANTIAL DEFECT.
Tho one substantial defect In COM
Dllance with the promise of the plat
form was the failure to reduce wool
ems. Does that defect so color the
action of the Republican party as to
make 1t breach OF faith leading to
its condemnation? I do not think so.
Parties arc like men. Reyisions are
like the work of men-they are not
perfect. The change which this tariff
effected marked a change downward
In the rate OF duties, and 1t was a
recognition by the party that the time
had come when instead of increasing
duties, that they should decrease
them; that the party recognized in It's
plntform and in much of what It did,
that tho proper measure OF protection
was the difference in the cost of pro-
duction of articles here and abroad,
including a fair profit to the manufac-
turer. There was a dispute as to what
that difference is and whether 1t was
recognized In the change OF all the du-
ties downward Particularly WAS this
the case on the materials that enter
into the manufacture of paper and pa
per itself. The reduction on print pa
per was from S6 10 s3.75. or about 81
pes cent
There was q real difference of opin-
Ion on the question OF the fact whether
the new duty correctly measured the
difference In the cost OF production OF
print paper abroad and print paper at
home 1t affected the counting rooms
of the newspapers of the country and
invited the attention of the newspaper
proprletors who had associated them
selves together like other interests, for
the purpose OF securing O reduction OF
the tariff. The failure to make larg-
cr reduction showed itself clearly IN
the editorial columns OF a great num-
Der OF the newspapers, whatever their
party prediction. The amount OF mis-
repre- to which the tariff bill
was subjected has never been exceed
ed In this country and II will doubtless
take the actual operation of the tariff
bill for several years to show to the
country exactly what the legislation
and its effect are. 1t Is perhaps too
early to institute the falrest compari-
sons between the Payne -Aldrich bill
and the bill which preceded IL, but the
Payne Aldrich bill has been In opera
tion now for six months and figures
are at hand from which we may make
q reasonable Inference, first, as TO
whether It is n revision downward,
and. second. as to its capacity for pro-
ducing revenue. for 1t must be borne
In mind that the passage OF the law
WAS demanded not only for the pur-
pose OF changing rates in their ef-
feet upon the industries OF the coun-
try but also for the purpose OF In
creasing trade revenues and the sue
cess OF the measure is TO be judged by
its results In both these respects.
AVERAGE RATE OF DUTY.
The bureau of statistics is authority
for the statement that during the first
six months OF the operation OF the
Payne law which has just ended. the
average rate OF duty paid on all duti-
able Imports was 2109 per cent ad-
valorem. The average rate of duty
paid on all imports for the same six
months for the four preceding years
under the Dlngley law was 24.3. This
would show that the reduction In the
| Payne law Is 2.9f per cent OF the value
| of the goods, OF that the reduction
below the previous tariff rates Is II per
| cent, showing a downward revision OF
| this extent In those goods which are
| duitable.
But this is not all. Under the Payne
| law. SIG per cent of the gross i'm
| ports for the last six months have
| been entered frce, while under the four
! wears preceding for the same six
months the free list amounted TO 1916
! nor cent OF the total importations. so
| there was not only reduction OF duty
on dnitable imports OF about II per
| cent. but also an enlargement OF about
the Same percentage OF the free list.
For the Introduction OF revenue, the
! pe-nc law is oven more an improve
, ment on the Dinglcy bill During the
slx months that the Payne tariff was
in force from Aug. to the night of
/ Isob 3. the customs receipts amounted