Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1912-08-29
STORY OF COT TON
IS A THRILLER
A Narrative That Concerns the
Welfare of Millions.
SHOWS EVILS OF PROTECTION

| SHOWS EVILS OF PROTECTION
Whole People Robbed by Tariff THAI
Rich Manufacturer May Benefit
Robert Kenneth MacLea, Consult
ing Expert of the Tariff Board
Shows That the American People
Are MuIcted of $s8,ooo,00o a Year
New York, August-Did you ever
hear the story of cotton?
1t is as thrilling as narrative o.
adventure. 1t is as interesting as 9
novel = interesting particularly be
cause it concerns the welfare of mil
lions of people who wear cotton goods
1t is interesting, because it 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-AIdrich law the Ameri-
can people are paying $ss, 900, 900 more
every year than they should pay for
their cotton goods and that saving
Of this amount could be accomplished
by reasonable reduction In the pres.
emit 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 lifelong Republican. a
friend of the protective policy of the
Republican party. but at the same
time an opponent of tariff graft and IA
voritism. To this work Mr. MacLea
has brought varied experience, COW
ering more than 20 years. In the man.
ufacture and marketing of textiles.
He first distinguished himself as an
advocate Of honest tariff legislation by
hnding the ''jokers" of the Payne-Al.
drich act, when the agents of a few
New England mills were permitted to
write their own rates to suit them
selves. He was chairman of the tar
IN committee of the New York Dry
Goods Merchants association and in
this capacity conducted 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 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 o.
the ways and means committee anl
condemned as inaccurate, incomplete
and worthless as an aid to legislation
When the tariff boards findings OF
the cotton schedule were made publ,
the World decided to make its owl
investigation concerning 1t, and Mr.
MacLea was selected for that purpose
The World had the findings of thu
board on manufactures of cotton dis
sected from the practical point o
view OF business, analysed In their re
iation to the interest Of the consume
and the facts translated into the Ian
guage of the everyday man an,
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 q
cotton cloth produced in this country
Mr.. MacLea used the same cloth sam
pies as concrete illustrations of tn,
workings of the tariff and from thes,
exposed the very generally perpe
trated fraud Of selling American mad,
goods as imported, and showed VIII,
the excessive tariff permits and fos
tiers this imposition.
Recognizing that the tariff would h
vital issue of the campaign and tina
controversy would center about Pres,
dent Taft's "nonpartisan" tariff boar,
and its work, the World undertook tn,
investigation of cotton and sought an
swers to the following questions:
Has the work Of the tariff boar,
Justified the delay in reducing the tar
Iff and giving relief from the high cos
Of livina7
What have the people gained In tn,
three years under the Payne-AIdrict
tariff IN RETURN FOR MORE THAN
| $4,000, 100000 TAKEN oUToF THEE
POCKETS AND INTO THE Pock
ETs OF PROTECTED PRIVILEGE?
How honestly, impartiaIIy and thor
ouehIy did the "nonpartfsan' tariff
body undertake its task?
Several months before the cotton re-
port vas completed Mr.. MacLea de
clares that he discovered sinister in
auences in the tariff boards workin.