The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1912-08-30

New York, August.-Did you ever
hear the story of cotton?
1t is as thrilling as a narrative Of
adventure. 1t is as interesting as a
novel - Interesting particularly be.
cause 1t concerns the welfare Of mil
lions of people who wear cotton goods.
It is interesting, because 1t is the
dress of the poor, the universal sub
stitute for wool and silk. 1t is in
teresting, furthermore, because it is
true.
The story Of cotton is the story of a
protective tariff for the benefit of rich
manufacturers at the expense of the
whole people who wear cotton goods.
1t has been reasonably calculated
that because the cotton tariff is fixed
by the Payne-Aldrich law the Ameri-
can people are paying $59,ooo,oco more
every year than they should pay for
their cotton goods and that a saving
Of this amount could be accomplished
by a reasonable reduction In the pres
ent duties.
The story of cotton is told by an ex.
pert, Robert Kenneth MacLea, consult
ing expert of the tariff board, in a Sc
ries Of articles published in the New
York World Mr.. MacLea's views are
the views Of a lifelong Republican, a
friend Of the protective policy of the
Republican party, but at the same
time an opponent OF tariff graft and IA
yoritism. To this work Mr. MacLea
has brought a varied experience, Gov
ering more than = years, in the man
ufacture and marketing Of textiles.
He first distinguished himself as an
advocate of honest tariff legislation by
finding the "jokcrs" Of the Payue-Ai.
drich act, when the agents Of a few
New England mills we're permitted to
write their own rates to suit them
selves. He was chairman of the tar.
iii committee Of the New York Try
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 e Co.
ard Converse & Co.
The story of cotton is a companion
piece to the story Of Schedule K-the
wooden schedule-declared by Presi-
dent Taft to be infamous and indefen-
sible.
The findings of the tariff board with
regard to the wooden schedule were
analysed by Chairman Underwood of
the ways and means committee and
condemned as inaccurate, incomplete
and worthless as an aid to legislation.
When the tariff boards findings on
the cotton schedule e made public
the World decided to make its own
investigation concerning 1t, and Mr..
MacLea was selected for that purpose.
The World had the findings of the
board on manufactures of cotton dis
sected from the practical point of
view of business, analysed In their re-
lation to the interest Of the consumer
and the facts translated into the Ian
guage Of the everyday man and
woman.
One hundred cloth samples pur-
chased in representative domestic mar.
kets were made the basis Of the tar
III boards findings on the cost OF
cotton cloth produced in this country.
MI. MacLea used the same cloth sam.
pies as concrete Illustrations of the
workings of the tariff and from these
exposed the very generally perpe
trated fraud Of selling American made
goods as imported, and showed why
the excessive tariff permits and fos
tiers this imposition.
Recognizing that the tariff would be
a vital issue Of the campaign and thai
controversy would center about Presi
dent Taft's 'nonpartisan" tariff board
and its work. the World undertook tbs
investigation Of cotton and sought an
swers to the following questions:
Has the work Of the tariff boarc
Justified the delay In reducing the tar
If and giving relief from the high cos
Of liVlng3
What have the people gained In tn,
three years under the Payne-AIdrieF
tariff IN RETURN FOR MORE THAN
s5,ooo,aoo,ooo TAKEN OUT OF THEFT
POCKETS AND INTO THE Pock
ETs OF PROTECTED PRIVILEGED
How honestly, ImpartIalIy and thor
ouahIy did the @n~onpartIsan7 terlf
body undertake lite task2
Several months before the cotton re
port was completed Mr.. MacLea de
clares that he discovered sinister in
huences in the tariff boards working
to the favored few In the cotton mil
) industry. Such suppressed informa
ton as Mr.. McLea considers to be o
vital importance to the cotton indus
try and the public has been p~Tesente,
in the World. He has also explains
what the mass Of figures of the col
ton report signifies and p~resente
D some of the most important OF tn
q conclusions to be drawn from the N
port a work which the board saw &
not to attempt.
4 The story Of cotton, as written b
Mr.. MacLea and published IN III
: World from time to time. form on
: Of the most interesting and imnortar