Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-04-26
SEE SAVING IN
FREE LIST BILL
house Committee Reports on So
Called Farmers Measure.
PAYS RESPECTS TO TRUSTS
Some Of the Combines Affected Are
Declared to Sell Products Cheap
err Abroad Than in Home
Market.

Washington. Chairman Under
wood submitted to the house the
majority report of the so-called farm
ers' free list bill. 1t asserts that
this measure will reduce the tariff
revenues S10.016,49 based on i'm
pOrtations for the last fiscal year, an
amount described as ''inconsiderable
in comparison with the great saving
and advantages to all of our people
from the additions to the free list
provided"
Quoting President Taft's recent Ca
madam reciprocity speeches, the re-
port seeks to convey the impression
that the administration is convinced
that protective tariff rates are too
high.
In several public addresses" It
says, the president has admitted that
tariff rates are too high, that such
rates have resulted in excessively high
prices, especially in the increased cost
of living, which now bears heavily on
our people, and that they have not
received the long promised benefits of
domestic competition under high pro-
tective duties"
Referring to the presidents state
ment that the Republican party had
modified its tariff policy so as to limit
it for purposes of protection to the
difference in cost of production here
and abroad with a reasonable profit to
the American producer, the committee
report says:
This is a confession, as was the
Republican platform of 1908, that the
theory Of high protective duties, as
put forth by the Republican party, has
broken down, that combinations and
trusts which prey upon the people
have been fostered by the tariff, and
that under high tariff protection Amer
lean manufacturers have forced UNI
reasonable profits from the people"
The report takes up in detail the
classified list of articles included in
the free list bill Regarding agricul-
tural implements, 1t says their manu-
facture is controlled by trusts and
combinations that have sold in for
eign countries at lower prices than
at home, building up their foreign
trade from $3.S59,1S4 in 1890 to $685.
1908 in 1910.
Placing on the free list of all leath-
err from cattle hides and skins, togeth-
er with boots, shoes, harness, sad
dlery, etc, the committee argues, will
be of advantage in manufacturing and
necessarily of benefit to agricultural
producers as well as to all the people.
Removal of duties on these products,
it is argued, viii place the farmers in
a free market as to foodstuffs and
food products. For the reason that
the public desire that no artificial
shelter shall be maintained to protect
abnormally high prices on food ar
ticles In any FORM" the bill also seeks
exemption from duty on wheat flour,
semolina. rye -four. buckwheat -four,
corn meal and all prepared cereal
foods. biscuits, bread and similar ar
ticles not sweetened.
In discussing free lumber placed in
the bill, hardwood excepted, the re-
port maintains that the owrersh IF
timber in this country has be, Is
practically a monopoly and has passed
for the most part into the hands of
great corporations and interests,
which are specializing on the increas-
ing scarcity.