The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-04-26
Will help some
Democrats First Reform Measure For.
naIly Presented.
THAT FREE LIST BILL

Designed to Help the Farmers Re
ported to the House by the Chair
man of the Ways and Means Com
mittee.
The majority report Of the ways
aad means committee on the farm
ers' free list BILL submitted to the
house Wednesday by o. W. Under
wood, chairman, is a merger Of Dem
ocratic political argument and an
analysis of the proposed duty exemp-
tions.
The repor: shows that the bill
would reduce the tariff revenue by
s1o,016,495, based oa the import
aoce 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 for"
Quoting President Taft's recent
Canadian reciprocity speeches, the re-
port seeks to convey the impression
Z that the administration is convinced
that protective tariff rates are too
. high.
''In several public addresses, it
says, "he (the president) has ad-
mitted that tariff rates are too high,
that such rates have resulted in ex-
eessively high rates felt 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 COM
petition under high protective du-
ties
Referring to the presidents state
ment that the RepuDi1can> party had
modified its tariff policies so as &c
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:
t'This is a confession. as was the
Republican platform of 1908, that
the theory of high protective duties
as put forth by the Republican par.,
has broken down, that combinations
and trusts which prey upon the peo-
pie have been fosterea by the tariff,
and that under tariff protection
American manufacturers have forced
unreasonable profits from the peo-
ple." Again the report declares:
"The Canadian reciprocity agree
ment now before the house is re-
cognition on the part OF the admin
sstration of the injurious effects Of
the extreme protective policy which
has so long been supposed upon rse
country, and is an effort to mitigate
its effects.
The reciprocity agreement, asserts
the committee, can not afford the
American people all the needed re-
lief from high protection.
"Action on the agreement involves
the necessity of further and lnme-
date action on revision number or
duties on imports from other coun-
tries in order that justice may be
done to the great army Of agricultur-
al producers who in the Canadian
agreement are to have the alleged
protection removed from thefr pro-
ducts without a corresponding or re-
ciprocaI removal Of the protective
duties most burdensome on the COM
modities they must purchase as nee
essary to sustain their lives and in
dustries."
The report takes up in detail the
classified list Of articles included II
the free list bill. Regarding agTl-
a cultural implements, it says their
manufacture is controlled by tsusts
and combinations that have sold IN
foreign countries at lower prices than
at home, building up their foreign
trade from s3,S5s,1S4 in 1890 to
s2S,124,o33 in 1910.
Bagging and baling materials, es-
sential in the transportation Of agrl-
cultural products, the report says.
can not receive benefits of protection
in home markets and duties on them
"have ANNOYED and burdened the
farmers to add to the profits OF ex-
acting trusts and combinations.
Concerning hoops, bands and ties OF
iron and steel, barbed wire for 1enc-
ing, etc., the report says the hlsh
duties make the people dependent up
on the "giant steel industry, which
for years has sold products abroad
lower than to domestic consumers,
and declares that placing them on the
free list will be long delayed
measure of equity and Justice -
The placing on the free list OF all
forms of leather from cattle, hloss
and skins, together with boots, snoes'
harness, saddlery, ETC., the committee
argues, will be of advantage on man
ufactuTinS and necessarily VI oene1'
to agricultural producers as well as
70 all the people.
The "beef trust" is assafled IN dls'
cussion of the free listing of fresh
meats and meat products. The ex-
isting duties on meats and meat
products it is asserted, "are for the
advantage OF this combination only
"a combination that controls the
markets both in buying and selling
and the result is a substantial add
ton to the high cost of living IRON
which the people suffer"
Removal of duties on these prod
ucts, it is assured, will place the far
mers in a free market as to tood'
l.rz .na -oo5 oroSrnfe For the