Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-01-12

All parties being now agreed that
tariff revision must soon come. the
question is whether that revision
should be on the wholesale plan or
on the installment plan, says Thomas
Scanlon in "The Public"
President Taft. with whom superb
cial tranquility is a prime object,
recommends SLOW and deliberate re
vision at the rate of one schedule a
a time, based upon the facts to be
supplied by the Tariff Board when
ever that frail body is able to make
It's report.
Whatever effect this advice will
have upon the republicans in CON
gress, who are responsible for the
Tariff Board, and who may feel il
their duty to respect its findings, the
course of the democrats is clear.
The% owe no allegiance to the Tar
1T Board nor to the principle behind
it. The idea that the relative cost
of production should determine the
extent OF the duties is not an idea
that should bind democrats. They
are charged with carrying out the
mandate received from the country
from the people who are suffering
from the high cost of livng-and
that mandate is to do what can be
done quickly to restore full competi-
ton to our commercial system and
bring prices nearer to their natural
level
To do this means to overhaul not
one schedule bur all schedules. 1t
in the needs of the consumer and not
the convenience OF the Tariff Board
that should guide the policy of the
democratic congressman.
That the Tariff Board may do
some useful things is not to be de-
MED. If it can succeed in "translat-
ing the tariff into English" by issu-
ing glossary which will enable the
average consumer to know how much
he is taxed on each item and the
facts showing why he is so taxed,
it will have justified its existence.
II il submits figures which demon.
srate that in some cases the duties
exceed by 500 per cent the differ
chce in labor cost at home and
abroad, it will have dealt powerful
side-blOW to the present law. But
such evidence will only be collat-
eral Ii does not touch the core of
the question
The core Of The question is tina
the producer exists for the consumer
and not the consumer for the produc-
er, and that prices and not costs are
Of vital concern TO the community.
When prices are brought down to
their natural level, costs may then
be easily inferred if anybody is in
terested in 50 academic a question.
TO say that the manufacturer eX-
lists for the consumer and that the lat
ter should always have the first CON
sideration. may sound very strage to
modern degenerate ears. Our govern
ment has for a whole century made
the manufacturer the object OF its
special care and left the consumer
TO his tendr mercies. The result is
that our pampered manufacturers
bred up in the tradition of closed
markets and accustomed TO the pock-
citing of unearned profits, look upon
the hundred millions of American
consumers much as they would upon
flock OF sheep which they are at
liberty to shear at will Nor has
this illusion lacked dramatic sup
port from the attitude of the tmid
consumers, who have played the part
of sheep only too faithfully.
But the consumers at last have re-
volted.
They may not know the principles
of international trade. but they know
when they are cold and hungry and
when the dinner pail is empty. They |
are now in no mood to stand tamely |
by while the Tariff Board is calcu- /
lating costs. when they knew that |
the manufacturer has two sets of !
prices-one for the American con-
sumer, and another, a lower one, for |
the foreigner.