The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-09-21
THE DETROIT TINES THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER

turai implements An America u
cheaper. as shown by -rszpotk-oI- LIS,
bureau OF trade relations OF the state
department. TO the American farmers
than 20 any farmers an the world Eng
land IL the one country that exports
agricultural implements 10 any great
extsnt and 50 SUCCESSFUL ~ the COM
petition against her In this country
u american agricultural implements
that practically very few have como
In from England This Iirst clause.
therefore. OF the free-iist bill oners no
booi. IA the farmers AT all, although
apparently drawn for the purpose OF IN
ducing them 10 think 50. IL does con-
tain some very general words at the
close or the specially mentioned arti-
made 10 include ist dlfrerent articles
used ON the farm, but used In other
vacations also. And these articles--thc
hammers. the FOOLS. the cutlery. ana the
machinery OF various kinds--are now
dutiable under the metal schedule. To
admit them under this clause would De
10 destroy entirely the symmetry or
the metal schedule and produce such =
confusion as seriously 10 intcrtere with
Another clause provides for the adj
mission of barbed-wire fencing free.
and then all wire and other material
which could be used for fencing. and
Includes wire rods and wire rope To
let In Darbed-wire fencing alone
would be unimportant TO producers. but
the framing OF the amending clause Ia
such tLat IL II were TO 80 into law ~
metal schedule and would utterly de-
stroy the principle which was followed
I'm Its framing and would make free OF
duty some OF the most highly wrought
articles under the metal schedule not
used by farmers at all. Then there IL
a clause admitting Jute and cotton bag
ging free, and materials from which
made, which would allow common cot
ton cloth TO come In free for any pur-
pose. although under the cotton
schedule. even as proposed TO be
amended by this congress. cotton cloth
u TO pay certain amount OF duty.
The bill also puts boots and shoes or
all kinds on the free list. IL did not
put on the free list. except some kinds
OF leather, the materials which went
into shoes. In other words. IL put on
the free list the finished product and
continued the tax on raw materials.
manufacturers that Its injustice must
appeal TO everyone. The fact 10 that
under the Dingley bill imported shoes
were taxed 70 per cent ad valorem,
reduced from rs per cent TO 10 per cent.
the duty on hides was reduced from
10 per cent TO nothing, and the duty
on leather was reduced TO s per cent.
No evidence was taken as to what ef-
feet this putting OF shoes on the free
list would have on the very highly I'm
portant shoe industry OF the country.
and as II violated the first principles
OF Justice I'm tarit, namely or put
ting the finished product on the free
list and taxing the materials, IL did
not and cslld not commend itself TO
one who was pledged TO the support OF
q moderate protective tarin.
Finally. the free list has two clauses
affecting meat and -four. AS they
went through the house they put meat
on the free list and flour on the free
list In the senate. however. an amend
ment was put on limiting the oper-
alton OF these two clauses to imports
from those countries with which we
have reciprocal relation and which
admit certain agricultural products OF
ours free. This limitation made Can
ada the only country which would DO
affected by the provisions OF the
clause. Now. In our negotiations with
Canada for reciprocity We attempted
TO secure free meat and free -four.
Canada would not consent to this. be-
cause she feared the effect OF our COM
petition with her meat and flour. This
showed that importations OF meat and
flour from Canada without duty would
not have any effect TO lower the price
In this country OF either in normal
times But this free-list bill was CIV
ing to Canada something for Lothing.
anns Congress at the sLose OF o, inc sSy
agreement directed me to continue me-
got!ations and expand its terms. and
yet In these provisions IL proposed TO
deprive me OF using the concessions
from Canada. Thus the
bill was 90 loosely drawn. II was.
drawn on such wrong principle, and
with SO little Information, and IL pur-
ported to do so many things which IL
aid not do. that had no hesitation
in tvetoine Il.
Finally. the cotton bill came TO me-
This bill differed from the others I'm
hA9s Hrs x.rk.A Cfa - Nat IN o. q
alone. and not the insurgent Repuo-
licans, were responsible. II had pass
ed the house on the report OF the
ways and means COMMITTEES made with
sons interested In the manufacture or
anyone else: IL had completely changed
the method of classifying cOttons,
classifying them according to the
threads of the piece and the specific
duty uIon the square yard. as In the
present bill. This was a most import
ant change, and II had been adopted
writing with the bureau of standards
and after an adverse report by the
treasury experts. The bill was adopt
ed avowedly az free-trade bill by
the house. II came TO the senate and
was passed In the form in which u
passed the house, except that certain
were added. One was an
amendment cutting down the metal
schedule by q sweeping reduction or
80 per cent, and the other was an
amendment OF the chemical schedule
with q purported reduction ad valofem
OF a5 per cent So hastily was the oill
thrown together, 30 little attention
was paid to the consideration OF II in
the senate, especially in the chemical
schedule, that the most ludicrous re-
suits were reached. In the first place.
although the amendments radically
changed the metal and chemical sched-
uies. no change was made In the title.
which still read AN act TO reduce du-
ties on cotton manufactures An
amendment was introduced In order to
make certain that In the cotton and
chemical schedules there must he a
reduction OF all rates to not more than