Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1910-10-07
Vital Washington News.
BY TAvENNER.
Special Correspondent of The Sentinel.
Washington. D. C.. Oct. 8. 1910


the Senate, blind Senator Tom P. Gore, of
Oklahoma, staked his reputation that if
the measure was passed extreme high
prices would follow.
The prophecy was fulfilled Average prices
rose more than II per cent from June to
December. 1909 The prices of steel trust
common stock more than doubled in six
months in 1909.
1t is the history of all protectionist coun-
tries that tariff revision upward means in
creased prices. II is not generally realized
how rapidly the price of tariff protected
articles rose after the passage of the Ding
ley law in 1897. From July l. 1897. to
January |, 1900, the first three years fol-
lowing the Dingley law, the cost of living
advanced 81 per cent, or at the rate of 8
per cent year More trusts were formed
during this than during any other similar
period in our history.
The price of wire nails rose from $l.36 a
key in August, 1898, to $3.50 in Deem
Der, lS99-l60 per cent in 16 months.
The price of barb wire rose from $l.65
per hundred pounds in August, 1897, to
$4.l3 in December, 1899-l50 per cent in
2 years.
The price of window glass rose from
SITS box in April, 1897, to $3.50 in
April, l90l-l75 per cent in 4 years.
The Dingley tariff made the trusts. and
the trusts put up the prices. But few, If
any, trusts were formed during the three
years of the comparatively low duties of
the Wilson bill
When the German government introduced
its tariff law of 1902, it published an ex-
PLANTATION which contained the frank state
ment that finland prices are raised, so far
as a consideration of the circumstances of
the last ten years will allow us to judge.
in proportion to the duties"
In France, in Italy and in some other
European countries part of the munich
pal revenue is raised by duties on goods
entering the towns. At the gates of such
towns there are officials who collect this
tax, and it is found that the difference in
prices of articles purchased outside of the
towns and within the towns is in nearly
every instance exactly the amount Of the
duty The same happens in trade between
nations.
The reason the sugar trust, the steel
trust, the lumber trust and the harvester
trust, are willing to contribute large sums
to the campaign funds of President Taft
and Republican candidates for congress
and are unwilling to contribute to the funds
of Democratic candidates, is that the Re-
publican party is the party of excessive
protection. Tariff revision upward means
increased prices. and the tariff trusts know
that they can collect from the people in
new profits whatever sums they may in
vest in the Republican campaign funds.
AFTER ELECTION.
The Republicans promise to make public
the source of their campaign contributions
after the November Congressional cleo
ton.
The report of the standpat Republican
members of the Ballinger investigating
committee is to be made public after the
election.
Nothing is to be said of the 100000
Taft-H Humphrey ship-subsidy grab bill
until after the November election.
The soft pedal is not to be applied to the
Oklahoma Indian lands thievery-until af
ter the election.
Nothing is to be done with the LorimeI
investieatiOn-untila after election
No step is to be taken in the sugar trust
friar lands Philippine scandal until after
the November election.
And, last but not least from the stand
point of relative importance. the National
Monetary commission of which Senator
Aldrch is chairman, will not make its re-
port recommending central government
bank-until after the November election
ANOTHER CASE Or LARCENY
The national Republican platform 1882
contained the following paragraph:
I'VE denOunce the efforts of the Demo
cratic majority of the House of Represen-
tatives to destroy our tariff laws piecemeal
as manifested by their attacks upon wool
lead and lead ores.
Times have changed. Republican can
ddates for Congress, upon the advice OF
President Taft, are now advocating and
promising tariff revision 'piecemeal with
the intimation that the schedules enumer-
ated will be the first ones tackled. In
other words, the Republicans have adopted
another Democratic idea
Why MEAT Is HIGH.
Thirty-five per cent is the amount OF
profit Armour 4 Co. forced the public to
pay last year. This became known through
statement submitted by Armour 4 Co
in connection with the listing of bond
issue of $30,000000 on the stock ex-
change. The company by its own show
ing made a gross profit Of $40, 582, 900 for
the year 1909 on capital stock Of $780,
100000 and earned a surplus of H,l27,-
926, or the equivalent Of dividend OF
| $3.50 per cent As the price Of beef was
boosted with the beginning Of 1910, il
would appear that in the opinion Of Ar
mour & Co. a 1856 per cent profit on CAPT
tai is not ample, even though the cOmmo-
dity involved is one Of the necessaries Of
life. Armour & Co. is one Of the beei
trust firms which enjoyed perfect immunity
from prosecution by the government unit
Federal Judge Lands. Of Chicago, an in
surgent. forced the Taft administration t.
take cOenizance Of the fact that the bee
trust was illegally holding up the public.
THE POsTAL-BANKs CHEAT.
Twelve hundred and fifty banks in vari
GUS parts of the United States have alread,
made application to the pOstofiice depart
ment to be designated repositories fol-
postal savings funds, and 648 postmaster
have made requests for the establishment
81 ,,,s,aI savinda hanks in their offices