The Bad River news. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 19??-1912, 1912-06-06
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE
Breezy News Notes From Our
Washington City Pencil
Pusher
Special To The News

The tariff debates are now on in
the Senate and have progressed
far enough already to make of the
hope of early adjournment only a
swiftly fading dream. Nothing
new is developed in the discussion.
The Republicans, realizing that
with the House majority against
them there is no possibility of in
telligent revision along the lines
which they have advocated and
which have been indicated by the
Investigations of the Tariff Board,
are willing to let the Democratic
measures go to the President for
his veto with only perfunctory
opposition on their part. The De-
mocrats are shaping their speeches
with view to framing catchy
campaign documents rather than
for any other purpose. They are
ringing the changes on the time
worn claim that the removal or re-
duction of duties would work a
great saving to the consumer. 1t
is unfortunate for the Democrats,
however, that whenever this policy
has been tried it has worked out in
exactly the opposite way. The re-
duction in the tariff on hides was
followed by advances in the retail
price of leather, boots and shoes.
The same thing was true in lumber
and in half a score of other articles.
Nevertheless, the same claim is be-
ing made over again and it is urged
with particular vehemence in the
case of sugar which is the only
article for which absolute free
trade has been proposed by the
Democrats. 1t is being asserted
that two cents a pound would be
saved to the purchaser of sugar
under free trade regime. 1t is
pointed out by the Senate Finance
Committee, however, that in 1890,
when sugar was out on the free
list, the sugar Trust promptly in
creased it's charge for refining by
forty-fve cents a hundred pounds,
which at the present time would
result in putting into its own
pockets over $30,OOO,OOO of the
$50, ,OOO,OOO lost in government re-
venue instead of passing it along
to the consumer. The Committee
finds further that there is no prob
ability of any permanent reduction
in the retail price of sugar from
the adoption of the Democratic
bill and that even if the price was
reduced by the full amount of the
duty it would mean a saving Of
only seventy-two cents a year for
each person. And they rightly
conclude this is no adequate effect
for the destruction of the domestic
sugar producing industry in which
more than 500, 100000 is invested
and the ruin of the beet-growing
farmers of nineteen western states
which would follow the adoption
of free sugar.
A Washington newspaper says
the prohibitionists have saved
$12, 900 in postage stamps by dis
tributing their literature under
the frank of Representative Hob
son of Alabama. No wonder that
with, campaign bureaus and lob
byists thus engaged in using the
mails without reimbursing the
government, the Postmaster Gen.
eral is sitting up nights wondering
why he can't make the Post Office
books show better evidence Of
business management.
During the consideration of the
naval appropriation bill, Congress
men Good from Iowa, succeeded ir
securing an amendment to the bill
which would enable the govermen,
to manufacture its own smokless
powder. During the debate it de
veloped that the government is nov
paying sixty cents . pound fol
smokes powder and that the pric'