The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-12-28

Is between ! and s cents and In Aus
tralia the cost Is below 4 cents. Yet
the picscp. duty on secured WOOL I'M
ported into the United States is 80
cents per pound, or nearly four times
the entire cost Of production at
home. A scientific tariff would linn
1t this duty to 5 or s 10 cents per
pound, for the producer would still
have the protection of higher costs
of transportation from foreign fields
1t Is pointed out by the board thai
hi sduty effectually prohibits the
importation OF clean, low-pricod for
Icign woods OF the lower crates which
would be exceedingly useful in the
manufacture of woollen products in
this country and would prevent in
large measure the use of cheap sub
stitutes that constitute almost y
fraud upon the consumer.
The board learns that the n
featuring charge for woollen pro-
ducts In the United States is not cx-
cessive. though inclined TO believe
tho retailer secures an unreasona-
bile profit. The board, however. fails
to consider that the retailer must
make his profit on n much smaller
volume than the manufacturer.
As showing the difference between
the work of the tariff board and the
hit-or-miss conglomerations put into
tariff laws by politicians, the board
recommends a system of duties ex-
actly the reverse of that adopted in
tho P%ayne-Aldrich law. to-wit, a
combination specific and ad valorem
duty ON woollen cloths, q low ad va
loren rate OF cheap goods, %increas-
ing to tho highest rate on extensive
goods. The Yayne-Aldrica law put
the creates. duties on the cheaper
goods. a MANIFEST injustice to the
men WHO has little.
Again. the board points out the
w~-ongfulness of ad yalorem duties.
such as are generally used now. That
is to say, instead of making the duty
q percentage OF the value of the i'm
ported goods, the board would maize
1t q specific figure. AS the board
points out, the ad yalorem system
Increases the duty with an increase
IN the value of the goods. There
fore, instead OF giving the consumer
relief wien prices are high, the nd
y~alorem tariff makes them higher.
The tariff board has in this one re-
port justified its existence and fully
warranted the long fight made by
President Taft for it's creation. If,
after this report showing how utter
~ unscientific and unjust have been
the methods of tariff-maklng. con-
gross still persists In favoring the
hit-or-miss plan OF assembling a lot
OF duties about which it knows next
to nothing, upon the suggestion of
selfish interests, then IL will be nm
to the voters to admonister some
sort OF discipline to congress.
President Taft has been vindicat-
ed In his advocacy of commissions
made tariffs, or at least OF tariffs
based upon information obtained by
commissions. This dispassionate,
STRAIGHTFORWARD, informative discus
sion o. the tariff subject forms so
pleasing a contrast TO the ordinary
political tariff talk in congress that
1t ought to be received with applause
the whole country over. If anything
could justify Taft In vetoing the
Woollcn bill passed ut the special
session of congress, this report does
it. And we beloeve the unpreiu.
diced observer will say that 1t has
done so.
@@>s<-%s
THE EIGHTY AGAINST THE
WEAK.
II our WI politics is a, zines
disgusting, international politics, as
displayed in the last few days, is
dctestable. England prevents China
from establishing a republic and
U 49,