The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-09-05

uf&cture and marketing of textiles.
Flc first distinguished himself as an
advocate of honest tariff legislation by
lfnding the jokers" of the Payne-Al
drich act when the agents Of few
New England mills we're permitted to
write their own rates to suit them-
aelyCs. He was chairman of the tar
itf committee Of the New York Dry
Goods Merchants association and In
this capacity conducted a campaign
which attracted the attention of the
newly created tariff board To accept
The position OF consulting expert to
The board he gave up the management
Of the domestic business of the New
York firms of r. B. MacLea & Co.
and Converse & Co.
The story OF cotton is a companion
piece 10 the story Of Schedule K-the
wooden chedule-declared by Presi-
dent Taft TO be infamous and indefen-
sible.
The findings of the tariff board with
regard 60 the wooden schedule were
analysed by Chairman Underwood of
tlIe ways and means committee and
/ condemned as inaccurate, incomplete
aud worthless as an aid to legislation.
When the tariff boards findings on
the cotton schedule were made public
the World decided to make its own
| investigation concerning It, and Mr..
MacLea was selected for that purpose.
| Fhe World had the findings OF the
board on manufactures of cotton dis
seeted from the practical point of
F+eN of business, analysed in their re-
iatt0n TO the interest OF the consumer
and he facts translated into the lam
gaage of the everyday man and
woman
one hundred cloth samples pur-
chased IN representative domestic mar
kets We're made the basis Of the tar
If Boards findings on the cost of
cotton cloth produced in this country.
Mr. Machea used the same cloth SAM
pies as concrete illustrations Of the
w8rNngs Of the tariff and from these
exposed the very generally perpe-
trated fraud Of selling American made
goods 7as imported, and showed why
The excessive tariff permits and fos-
tera this imposition.
Recognizing that the tariff would be
d vital issue Of the campaign and that
controversy would center about Presi-
dent Tafts nonpartisan" tariff board
aH4 its work the World undertook the
Investigation of cotton and sought an
Eers % the following questions:
HAS the work of the tariff board
ie led the delay in reducing the tar
ind Giving relief from the hiah cost
51of liuine
II WEat nave the people gained In the
three years under the Payne-AldrIch
tariff TN RETURN FOR MORE THAN
5000 .0o5 oGo TAKEN OUT OF THEIR
POCKETS AND INTO JHE Pock.
ETs OF PROTECTED PRIVILEGED
bow honestly, mpartlaIIy and thor.
oachiy did the "nonpartlsan" tariff
BODY undertake its task7
several months before the cotton re-
p0I was completed Mr. MacLea de-
clates tnat he discovered sinister In.
uua ices in the tariff boards working
% Jag favored few in the cotton mill
MC arg such suppressed informa
Ton as SIR lcLea considers to be OF
gital fri 3ortance to the cotton indus
ry spd Ne public has been presented
he orld. He has also explained
ah&T zhe mass of figures of the cot.
6Gn EaIar signifies and presented
.oIea Qi the most important of the
eonclus ats 70 be drawn from the re.
BORT ark which the board saw q,
aug attempt
pht tory Of Gotten. as written by
ir daci-ea and published in the
GRID n time to time. form one
the Most Interesting and important
grci the resent campaign.