Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-08-02
Little Interest Expressed
by Local Manufacturers
or Dealers.
WILL BE VETOED IF 1T
is PASSED, IS OPINION.
Would Not Have Appreciable
Effect on Prices, Busi-
ness Men Assert.

Little interest is apparent among
Newark manufacturers and dealers
over the so-called farmers free
list bill, which among other things
puts many kinds of leather, including
boots and shoes. meats. flour and ce-
reals on the free list and which failed
to pass the Senate last night by a tie
vote.
A modified bill. leaving meat and
flour off the free list did pass, but it
is said. in Washington that this action
only delays the final vote on the propo-
Immediately reject the Senate amend
ments, and that within few days the
original bill will again come up for
action and will be passed.
1t failed last night owing to the alb
sehce of the newly elected Senator
from Georgia. Hoke Smith, and the
failure of Senator Bailey, of Texas, to
vote with his party.
Newark leather dealers professed to
be little interested in the bill, the con-
sensus being that President Taft will
veto the bill If it comes to him. Prac-
tically all of the leather men professed
ignorance today as to the exao terms
of the bill as regards leather, 1t being
pointed out that patent leather. in
which Newark is most interested, is
not named in the bill.
Little Effect on Trade.
L. Straus, of M. Straus & Sons, said:
II do not believe the bill will have
any great effect on the leather trade.
American man ifacturers are exporting
more and more leather every year and
of course are holding their own in the
home trade. Free leather will not, in
my opinion, affect the trade IN the
least"
Similar views were expressed by
II. A. Moore, of the j. H. Ladew Corn
pany, manufacturers of leather belt
ing, and at the factory of Kaufherr Ss
Co. Other dealers refused to discuss
the question at all. saying that they
had not made a study of the proposed
bill and Its conditions
Local department stores, when asked
whether the removal of duties on boots
and shoes would have any effect en-
prices, said no. 1t was pointed out
that shoes are now made more cheaply
in America than in any place in the
world, and that outside countries could
not hope to compete. The same thing
was true, it was said, regarding sew
= ing machines, the fact being that prlc-
tically all the machines used in the
world are made in the United States.
.sNO Effect on Flour"
Even less interest in the bill seems
to have been taken by the dealers in
meat and food supplies. Inquiry at
the office of the Wilkilson-G Gaddis Com
pany disclosed the fact that it was the
belief that the bill would never become
a law.
Even If it does" said a represent
ative of the G mpap-, "it will have no
effect on flour prices. This country
raises tov much. entirely too much,
wheat to ever have any fear of the I'M
porte tion of flour on a free list basis
The same is true of cereals. Did you
ever hear of a cereal that was not
manufactured In this country? How,
then, is free list going to hurt that
trade?"
Inquiry at the larger local grocery
stores and meat markets brought forth
almost invariably the answer: I'VE are
not bothering our heads about the free
list bill. Il will not affect us in the
least"
All down the line of dealers affected
boot and shoe, flour, cereal, sewing
machines, meat and leather-the one
ruling view was that the bill would
never be signed by President Taft,
and that even If it should be, it would
have 20 real effect on the cost of the
price of living.