The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1912-10-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Special Washington Correspond
ent of The Times.
BY CLYDE H. Tavenner.

BY CLYDE H. Tavenner.
Washington, D. C.-If the Amer
lean people wish to give credit t
} whom credit is due, they ought t.
support the Democratic candidate!
for Congress, and thus place theil
stamp of approval on the record o.
the House of Representatives.
Since January 1, 1912, Demo.
cratic House has passed tariff bills
which would have reduced the high
cost of living $3.50, GOO, 600 a year.
Every bill which in the slightest de.
gree provided relief for the masses
was vetoed by the president.
The Farmers Free List bill, passed
by the House, would have saved the
people $3.50, 100000 annually. This
bill removed the duty from agricul-
tural implements, Of which $3.50, 600, :
600 worth were exported and only
$l65, 600 worth were imported dur
ing the last fiscal year; sewing ma
chimes, fence wire, bagging and cot
ton, ties, lumber, laths, shingles,
meats, flour, salt, leather, shoes, etc.
Under our tariff law a barrel of
flour valued at 81 abroad is taxed Is
per cent. ad valorem at our ports, or
81 on the barrel. This bill removed
the entire tax.
Beef valued at $3.50 per hundred
pounds abroad pays tariff equiva-
lent to 1888 per cent, or $3.50 per
100 pounds. This bill proposed to
remove this entire tax.
The Democratic wool bill proposed
to reduced the average rate of duty
on wool manufactures from 80. 10 per
cent. to 1886 per cent. President
Taft's veto of this measure means
that the American people will pay
$5O,OOO,OOO more for their clothes
this year than they would have if
President Taft had signed it.
A wool hat valued at 81 abroad and
taxed rs cents upon its entry into the
United States, under the present
tariff law, would have been taxed
only 40 cents.
Flannel underwear valued at $27
per dozen suits is taxed under the
present law at the equivalent ad va
loren rate of about 1O6 per cent.
The Democratic bill proposed to re.
duce this to 40 per cent. A suit of
readymade wooden clothing worth in
Europe $40 is taxed under the pres
ent law at the equivalent ad valorem
rate OF IS per cent, or $3.50. The
Democratic bill proposed to reduce
this tax from rs to 40 per cent. and
save the customer $3.50 per suit.
The cotton bill reduced the duties
on cotton manufactures from 1872
per cent. to q. 06 per cent, a re-
duction of the tariff burdens under
this schedule from not less than $500,
100000 to about $112,OOO,OOO for a
year, or saving of about $88, OO0,-
600 for twelve-month period.
Mems cotton half hose valued at
eighty cents per dozen pairs whole
sale are taxed under the present law
at the equivalent ad valorem rate of
about 80 per cent. The Democratic
cotton bill proposed to reduce this to
40 per ceut.
1t proposed to reduce the tax on
cotton thread from an equivalent
rate of "a per cent. to Is per cent. A
suit of ready-made cotton clothing
valued at the foreign port at S. is
taxed under our present law so per
per cent ad valorem, or So a suit.
This Democratic bill proposed to re-
duce this tax to 80 per cent. and save
the consumer $1.2O per suit.
The bill revising the metal sched- ,
ule reduced the average rate of duty
On the entire schedule from 80. IS per
cent. Imports of 1910 to 23.42 per !
cent. This revision, it is estimated, ,
would have saved the American con- !
sumers in a twelve-month period
more than $50, OOO, 900. ,
The revision of the chemical sched-
ale would have effected a saving to
American consumers of about ST. !
100, 900 by reducing the price of all 3
chemicals and at the same time the
to the Government would
nave been increased.
The bill placing sugar on the free