The Hayti herald., 1912-09-26
STORY OF COTTON
IS A THRILLER
A Narrative That Concerns the
Welfare Of millions.
SHOWS EVILS OF PROTECTION.

Whole People Robbed by Tariff That
Rich Manufactures May Benefit.
Robert Kenneth MacLea. Consulting
Expert Of the Tariff Board. Shows
That the American People Are
Mulcted Of 5ss.o00.ooo a Year.
New York. Aug. Did you ever
hear the story of cottont
1t Is as thrilling as II narrative Of
adventure 1t Is as interesting as II
novel interesting particularly because
it concerns the welfare of millions "i
, people who wear cotton goods. 1t is
| interesting because it Is the dress of
the poor. the universal substitute for
wool and silk. 1t is interesting. fur
thermore. because 1t is trLe.
The story of cotton il the story Of d
protective tariff for the benefit of rich
manufacturers at the expense Of the
whole people who wear cotton goods.
II has been reasonably calculated
that because the cotton tariff is fixed
! by the Payne AIdrch law the Ameri-
can people are paying S38,0oo,0o0 moro
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
ent duties.
The story Of cotton is told by an ex
pert. Robert Kenneth MarLen. consult
ing expert of the tariff board. in a So
ries of articles published in the New
York World Mr. MncLea's views nru
the views of lifelong Republican. n
friend of the protective policy of thu
Republican party. but mt the same time
an opponent of tariff graft and favor.
itsm. To this work Mr.. MncLea has
brought n varied experience. covering
more than twenty years. in the man
ufarture and marketing of textiles.
He first distinguished himself as an
advocate Of honest tariff Legislation by
finding the "iokers" Of the Payne At.
drirh act. when The agents of few
New England mills were permitted to
write their own rates to suit them
selves. He WIS chairman of tn" tar
iff committee of the Now York Dry
Goods Merchants association and in
that capacity conducted II campaign
newly crentpd tnri.f hoard TO accept
the position Of consulting expert to the
board he gave M the management Of
the domestic business of the New York
firms Of r. g. MacLea & Co. and Con-
verse Il Co
The story of cotton is companion
piece to the story of Schedule k-the
D
dent Taft to be infamous and inhefen-
sible.
The findings of the tariff board with
regard to the wooden schedule We're an
alyZed by Chairman Underwood of the
ways and means committee and con.
demned as inaccurate. incomplete and
worthless as an aid to Legislation
When the tariff boards findings on
the cotton schedule were made puliic
the World decided to make lis own
investigation concerning IT. ard MIR
MacLea was selected for that purpose.
The World had the findings of the
board on manufacturers of cotton dis.
scctrd from the practical point of view
OF business. analyZcd In their relation
the facts translated into the language
Of the everyday man and woman.
One hundred cloth samples purchased
In representative domestic markets
were made the basis Of the iariff
boards findings on the cost OF cotton
cloth produced In this country. MIR
MacIea used the same cloth samples
as concrete illustrations of the work
ings of the tariff and from these ok
posed the very generally perpctrntrd
fraud of selling American made goods
ms "importcd" and showed why the
excessive tariff permits and fosters
this imposition.
Recognizing that the tariff would ht
vital issue OF the campaign and tha
controversy would center about PrcSi
dent Taft's "nnnpartisan" tariff bonrC
and its work, the World undertook tn,
investigation of cotton ana sought an
swcrs to the following questions.
Has tho work of tho tariff board jus
tfiad tho delay in reducing tho tarf
4 and giving relief from the high cos
of living?
q What have tho people gained in tn
: three years under the Payne Aldrici
tariff IN RETURN FOR MORE THAI
/ $4,000, 100000 TAXED OUT OF THEFT
POCKETS AND INTO THE PoCk
ETS OF PROTECTED PRIVILEGE
How honestly. impartially and thor
oughly did the "nonpartisan" tarii
board undertake it's task?
Several months before the cotton RI
port was completed Mr. MacLea de
clares that he discovered sinister in
fiuences In the tariff boards workin
to eliminate findings most damagin
to the favored few In the cotton mi
industry. Such SUM: essed informatio