Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-17

indication Of knowledge or ability.
Critics are plenty, but men who can
successfully operate business that give
employment and meet pay rolls are
scarce. The man who invests money
in business and successfully con-
ducts that business is pulling his own
weight and other loads too.
The Tribune complains that Col.
Roosevelt has made that statement be-
fore. We hope he will make 1t again
and again.
FOREIGNERS GET REDUCTION.
when hides were placed on the free
list and the duty on finished leather
reduced from 20 per cent to per cent,
1t was natural to suppose that the con-
sumer would benefit, but there was an
other gold brick handed out, just as
will be the case if the wooden and cot
ton schedules are changed. The con-
sumner gets no lower price, but the
foreign manufacturer gets the benent.
This statement was made by large
wool manufacturer in an article in
''F'ibre and Fabric" He stated that ne
had followed the leather market Tor
the past few months, from the manu-
facturer,s viewpoint as consumer, as
he uses tons Of leather betting. he
found that prices did not decline as
result of free hides as was promised,
but that they advanced, and he made
inquiry as to the reason for this. he
quotes the following letter received
from the head of large leather con-
Germ as proof that the reduction IN
duty did not bring a reduction IN price:
When the leather men went before
congress they made the bold assertion
that the wearer Of shoes and the user
of boots would Immediately benefit by
the placing of hides on the free list to
the extent Of is per cent. personally,
who was on that committee, did not
make such statement. Before NOES
were made free, the duty was 10 per
cent, and foreign hides. both french
and Swiss, could be bought and dellv-
cred into America with duty paid.
costing us, the tanners, Is cents per
pound in the hair. Since the duty has
been off, the foreign hide has advanced
in Europe to the same price as domes-
tic hides were, namely, 1S cents per
pound, delivered here, and the forelgns
only have advanced.
The duty on finished leather has
been reduced from 20 to 5 per cent.
we cannot buy betting
butts any cheaper today than we
could under the high protective tariff,
and from the present outlook there
will be no reduction in leather as the
hide market remains exceedingly firm
in both the foreigns and domestics.
We believe in high protection, and
we advocate protection of five per
cent on hides and 20 per cent on fin
ished leather. In Germany, which is
very large tanning country, on par
with America, they are showing the
American tanner that this time he has
made serious mistake in asking only
FIVE per cent on finished leather, for
today the German tanner is buying
American hides in America, having
them sent to Germany and then re.
shipped to this country as finished
leather five per cent cheaper than the
American tanner can produce 1t, and
the difference of this margin is made
by the very low cost Of German labor.
Their tanneries are running night and
day while the American-practically-
are doing nothing.
Again. when the duty was removed
from hides, the leather workers de-
manded a 10 per cent advance in
wages, which they received, so you see
we were much better off with is per
cent duty on hides and 20 per cent
duty on finished leather than we are
today with hides free and a per cent
duty on the finished leather, proving
that the leather industry was much
better off under the high protection.
with the workingman having more and
steadier work than today.
And to those who are yelling for a
lower tariff, if they have received the
same dose under the new Payne act as
the leather men, by this time they
would be shouting tune in decided
ly different KEY. Before the duty on
hides and leather was changed we
could furnish you with our A No 1
high grade betting at 70 per cent off;
apron feathers at 5O-to-10 per >cent:
hard roller bands, free Of talcum and
clay, at AZ cents per pound. Today un-
der free duty Of hides, we cannot re-
duce these prices one cent as we can.
not buy hides any cheaper now under
a free duty than we could under a
protective duty, either foreign or do
nestle
Under free hides and reductions on
leather, this manufacturer adds, hides
and leather have advanced and the
foreigner can buy our leather, ship it
to Germany and finish it and send it
back and undersell domestic manu-
facturers at least per cent. Not alone
do users of leather betting nav for the
luxury of fattening the purses of for
eign competitors, he says, but every
man, woman and child in this country
as the price Of shoes has
advanced.
ONE PAPERS SUGGESTIONS.
The Des Moines Capital believes
that Iowa's growth has been hampered
by the trend of legislation in the state
in the last ten years. 1t holds that
"a destructive or at least obstructive
rather than constructive policy has
preyai1ed and the reSl1lt has hpen a !