The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-13

to be administered by the Presideni
under limitations fixed In the law. thu
maximum to be available TO meet dis
ordinations by foreign countrie.
against American goods entering theil
markets, and the minimum to repre-.
sent the normal measure OF protection
at home, the aim and purpose of the
republican party being not only to pre-,
serve without excessive duties that Sc.
curity against foreign competition tC
which American manufacturers, farm.
ers and producers are entitled, bui
also to maintain the high standard OF
living of the wage earners of this
country who are the most direct bene-
hciaries of the protective system.
Between the United States and tn {
Philippines We believe in a free inter
change of products with such limita-
tons to sugar and tobacco to afforJ
adequate protection to domestic inter
ests.'
Tariff Revised
We did revise the tariff. 1t is i'm
possible TO revise the tariff without
awakening the active participation in
ne formation of the schedules of those
prccucers whose business will be affected
~ change. This Is the inherent diff
"' ulty IN the adoption or revision OF a
lrif by our representative system.
Nothins was expressly said in the plat
iorin that this revision was to be a down.
ward revision. The implication that 1t
was to be generally downward, how
ever, was fairly given by the fact that
nose who uphold a protective tariff sys-
tenn defend it by the claim that after an
Industry has been established by shutting
out foreign competition the domestic
competition will lead to the reduction in
prices so as TO make the original high
aiifr unnecessary.
In the new tariff there were 654
decreases, 20 increases and l150 items of
the dutiable list unchanged. but this did
not represent the fair proportion in most
Of the reductions and the increase, be-
cause the duties were decreased on
these articles which had q consumption
value of nearly 5000, 0c0, 900, while they
Wero increased on those articles which
nad consumption value of less than
Sl,t0G0Oo,00o. OF the increase the con-
sumption value of those affected which
are OF luXuries amounted to nearly $780,.
$4,000, while The increase not on articles
Of luxury affected but about $500, 900 coo as
a@a1ilst the decreases on about s., 00oo00,-
700 of consumption.
Downward Revision
Il repeat, therefore. that this was a
downward revision. 1t was not down.
ward with reference to silks or liquors
81 high priced cottons In the nature of
'nNuries. 1t was downward in respect
to nearly all other articles except WOOL
ems which were not affected at ALL Ger
tainly it was not promised that the rates
Of luxuries should be reduced. The reye-
| ues were falling off; there was a deficit
I! romised and it was essential that the
revenues should be increased It was no
violation of promises to increase the rcve-
hues by increasing the tax on luxures,
provided there was downward revision
m all other articles. The one substan-
tial defect in compliance with the prom
Use OF the platform was the failure to re-
duee woolens. Does that defect so color
he action of the republican party as to
make breach of faith leading to its
I do not think so.
Parties are like men. Revisons are
like the work of men. They are not per-
feet. The change which this tariff eff
fccted was a marked change downward in
he rate of the duties, and it was a rec
osnition by the party that the time had
conc when instead of increasing duties
they must be decreased, when the party
recognized in its platform and in much of
what it did that the proper measure of
y election was the difference in cost in
the production of articles here and
lhroad, including fair profit to the man.
what that difference Is, and whether 1t
was recognized In the change OF all the
luties downward Particularly was this
the case on The materials that enter into
the manufacture OF paper and paper it
self.
1.-The reduction on print paper was from
SC to 10 or about 81 per cent.
Cost of Production
There was a real difference of opinion
on the question of fact whether the new
duty correctly measured the difference
in the cost of production of print paper
abroad and print paper here. 1t affected
the counting rooms of the newspapers Of
the country and invited the attention of
the newspaper proprietors who had ASSOC
ciated themselves together like other in
terests for the purpose of securing a re-
duction of the tariff. The failure to make
a larger reduction showed itself clearly
in the editorial columns of a great num-
Der of newspapers whatever their party
prediction. The amount of misrepre-
sentation to which the tariff bill in it's
effect az a downward revision bill was
subjected has never been exceeded in this
country and it will doubtless take the
actual Operation of the tariff bill for
several years to show to the country
exactly what the legislation and its effects
are. 1t is perhaps too early to institute
the fairest comparisons between the
Payne-Aldrich bill and the bill which pre-
coded ito but the Payne-Aldrich bill has
been in operation now for six months
and figures are at hand from which we
may make a reasonable inference first,
as to whether it Is a 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 purpose of
changing rates in their effect upon the
Industries Of the country, but also for
the purpose of increasing the revenues
and the success of the measure is to be
judged by its results in both these re-
spects.
Average Rate of Duty
1.-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 in all dutiable i'm
ports was 2i.c9 per cent ad valeroem.
The average rate CT duty paid on all inn
ports for the same six months for the
four preceding years under the Dingley
law was "A o3. This would show that the
reduction III the Payne Law Is 2s4 per
cent of the value of the goods or that
the reduction below the previous tariff
rates Is II per cent. showing n downward
revision OF this extent in those goods
which are dutiable.
But this is not all. Under the Payne
law 5l.6 per cent OF the gross imports
for the last six months have entered free
while under the four years preceding for
the same six months the free list amount
ed to &c. 46 per cent of the total mporta-
tons: so there was not only reduction
Of duty on dutiable imports OF about y
per cent but also an enforcement of about
the same percentage of the free list.
For the production of revenue the law
is even more OF an Improvement on the