Evening star., 1911-06-06


mean a less demand for our domestic
woods, but a greater and better demand
for all the domestic wool that can De
raised. If unwise restrictions discourae1ns
the use of wool are avoided.
'Tt is maintained by a very large num-
ber of our best economists and states
men that the economic situation invoiveo
in our rapid progress as nation requires
that our ports should be thrown open to
the Importation of wool free or duty;
and this view, based on the most pro-
found consideration of the public well
fare, has found expression In demo-
ut Is the constant intent of the demo-
cratic party to make the burden OF
tariff taxes as light as possible for the
people. and to levy tarin taxes on q
revenue basis as promptly as possible.
for the party recognizes no 5ustfnoafion
whatever for tariff taxes except the me-
cessity of revenue.
Alleged Burden on People.
Dealing with the duties on WOODEN and
worsted cloth for clothing, the report
says:
THE existing protective duties on
wooden and worsted cloth involve an
enormous burden on the American people,
who are obliged to pay in the increased
price Of clothing many times the amount
of money received by the Treasury In the
duties An illustration of the extent Of
the burden is afforded by study of
representative and typical article of COM
paratively cheap cloth. such as enters
into ordinary suits of mems clothing worn
by great masses of our people. The ar
ticle in question is we'll known In the
trade as an all-wool worsted fancy fabric
from half-blood wool, the fabric weighing
919 ounces to the yard and 56 to bS inches
wide
"The wholesale English price per yard
is 77 cents and the freight to New York
1 cent. The specific compensatory duty
is A cents per pound. or % cents per
yard. the ad valorem duty so per cent, or
3S cents per yard in addition, making the
total duty 81 cents per yard, or Is per
cent of the import price. The price of
the corresponding or competing American
fabric is increased in price by the amount
of the duty. is known to be the case
and would be inevitable.
Volume of the Tariff Tax.
1T requires three and a half yards
of cloth to make a mans suit. Hence
the tariff tax on one suit of this cloth
amounts to three and half times 81
cents per yard, or $2.14. A careful
estimate of the cost of production of
this and other similar American cloths
indicates that it is divided about as
follows:
Per cent.
LABOR .....-.-.... 20
. . .
Interest and depreciation ..... N
All other charges. IN
THE result Of this estimate is in
harmony with the result of census IN
designations already referred to.
The present protection on the cloth
above mentioned. equivalent to IS per
cent, is. therefore, more than three
times the entire labor cost and almost
as much as the entire cost in labor and
materials
There are at the present time over
?2,000,000 persons in the United States.
It is estimated that one-fifth of the
All of them must wear suits OF clothes
made of cloth very much like the ar.
ticIe above mentioned. Here are 49,
100000 such suits used There are
fully as many adult women who wear
clothing involving as much. probably
more. woolen or worsted cloth Of about
.:1his makes Is, 4O00oo additional suits,
or a total of 36S9o,00e. which Is eQuiva-
lent to 12S 10000 yards of such cloth
annually consumed by adults, IL We es-
innate that only the equivalent OF one
suit each a year is bought-a very low
estimate.
Total of Consumption.
1T is also a low estimate that one
fifth of this amount of cloth has to be
used for clothing for on-adults, making
a total consumed each year OF not less
than III 100000 yards. The tarin tax of
II cents per yard means. therefore. to
say nothing of any increase in tax as it
passes down through the hands of the
manufacturer jobber and retailer, not
less than s1O4. 100000. or. say, 500. 100000
per year paid by the people. The entire
amount Of duties paid to the Treasury
in the fiscal year 1910, on all the imports
of woolen and wofsted cloths. amounted
TO little less than $6.OO0OO 05,B7.
lJ3.52), and on women's and children's
ss.500. zoe tss.4s1 ,2oS.75). or . total on
these articles of less than s15.60o.0o0."
Report of Minority Members.
The minority report on the Underwood
BIZ. which bears the signatures of Rep
resentatives Payne OF New York. Dalzell
OF Pennsylvania Needham Of California
and Lonsworth of Osiio. Is In part as fol-
lows:
1T is difhcuit to understand. on any
economic principle. why this bill IL
pressed just at this time We have Q
s250.0O0. which has been engaged for sew
eral months in the Investigation of
sceduie x, and We are sured that th<
board will be ready to report fully on
December l next.
"The wool schedule is dificult and
intricate, and directly involves the
welfare and living of more than 5O0,-
900 people Changes when made should
w Win tnC SIS0tSSt care ana SIu0Y
and with all the Intelligent aid we
can muster.
Without any hearing Of new data.
with no information than that Of two
years ago, the bill is forced upon the
House at the mandate Of Q political
caucus. There can be no expectation
that 1t will pass the other house. or
be even considered there before De-
eember next. at least.
Regarded as Radical Departure.
THE bill itself is unlike any LEGISLATION
ever attempted on this subject and is q
radical departure from all party plat
forms and economic principles. The only
reasonable excuse for the existence OF
this bill is that given by the democratic
caucus in its resolution. The caucus
seems To be the only body doing any
legislatins at this time.
The caucus edict has also gone forth
that no amendment will be allowed ir
the House. The caucus is supreme; the
House is its weak echo.
The minority report cites the fact tha
the democrats give the need for revenue
as the real reason for the introduction
democratic statements with regard to tn
condition of the Treasury A. "absolutel,
false" and presents a Treasury statemen
travagance in expenditures made by th
democrats.
1.-The bill is not drawn on lines for tn
production of revenue on raw WOOL" saw
the report. with q duty OF 40 per cen
Tha Axtfx .Fon