Ripley County democrat., 1910-09-30

makes to a much greater extent than
the duty was raised.
i To put the matter In another form,
The minimum duties we're as follows:
n Dingley Law. Payne Law.
s Per cent Per cent.
First grade hose. .65 IS
Second grade hose. .55 II ITO
4 Third grade hose 80 60
It will be noticed that under both
laws the cheaper the hose the higher
! the per cent of tax.
Another increase OF direct interest
to every woman of the United States
Is that on artificial flowers and orna-
mental feathers. This tax was IN
creased from so per cent under the
Dingley law to 60 per under the Payne
law. As the importations of this class
OF merchandise aggregated for the
year above mentioned about 100000
it will be seen that 10 per cent in
crease means an aggregate additional
tax of 100000, besides the increase
the home manufacturers are enabled
20 exact.
And still another increase of direct
interest TO the women Is that of all
kinds of millinery ornaments. hat
pins, belt buckles, hat ornaments,
breaches and all articles Of like char
acter worn on, about, or attached to
the person. Under the Dingley law
the duty ranged from as to 60 per
cent, principally As, while under the
Payne law the duty has been in-
creased to SIS per cent so that on the
bulk of importations Of this character
the increase has been 40 per cent on
the value, or SS per cent over the old
rate.
The minimum rate on silk goods
was reduced from so per cent under
the old law to As per cent under the
new, but again provision was made to
catch the poorer classes. for new
paragraph makes artificial silk duti-
able at 60 per cent and As cents
pound in addition.
Under the old law all leather novel
ties, hand bags, belts and manufac-
lures of leather In general were taxed
35 per cent. The new law increases
the tax to 40 per cent.
Straw mating, the poor mans floor
covering, was lifted, too. The old law
levied a tax of three cents a yard on
all mating costing under ten cents
yard, and seven cents a yard and rs
per cent on mating costing over ten
cents yard. The new law makes all
mating dutiable at three and one-half
cents a yard, regardless of cost, thus
increasing the tax one-half cent
yard on the cheaper mating and low
ering II on the higher priced.
OF cotton cloth, dress goods. etc,
more than s1O,OOO,OO0 was omported
in the year ending June 30 1909, and
conservative estimate on this class
of merchandise would be an increase
Of five per cent, making more than a
half a million dollars additional du-
ties, II the same quantities are i'm
ported under the new law. This Is a
small burden compared to that which
will be exacted by our home manufac.
turers increasing the price OF their
products In the same proportion on
the millions of dollars worth made
in this country. The duty under the
old law averaged over Al per cent.
The tariff on woolen goods was not
changed in the new law. probably for
the reason that 1t was outrageusly
high. OF total importation for the
year mentioned Of $4,777,O0O worth OF
woolen or worsted cloths, the duty
ran from SO to 139 per cent, and av-
erage sc per cent of the value. On
s7,0O0,000 Of women's and children's
dress goods, the duty averaged
103 74-100 of the value; on $1,463,O
worth Of wool wearing apparel the
duty averaged over SO per cent; on
fiannels, 104.4 per cent; on knit fab
RIGS. 1O1% per cent
Senator Aldrich said the wool sched-
ule was the keystone Of The protective
arch and should not be touched.
And as usual the burden is put upon
the one least able to pay. A provi-
sion In the wool schedule makes every
class Of merchandise or article of any
wool at all, no matter how small per
centage, dutiable under the wool
schedule, which is In every case q
compound duty. ranging from 80 cents
q pound and so per cent 10 A cents a
pound and 60 per cent It even catches
rubber boots lined with felt, or furni-
ture upholstered with cloth contain
ing any wool. As the cheaper grades
OF cloth are always coarse and heav-
fer than the fine grades, or else con-
tain some cotton, 1t is easily seen how
The pound rate catches the poor class
Of people for higher average rate OF
duty than the better grades the more
fortunate can afford to buy.
There are many other increases in
the new law on articles OF everyday
use that cannot well be spproximated,
while there is scarcely decrease in
the whole bill that viii benefit any
body except the manufacturers, al
most all the decreases being on ma
terisls or articles used In manufac-
turing. This amounts outright TO an
increased duty for the benefit Of the
manufacturer, because he Is given