Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1912-01-26
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
BY CLYDE II. TAvENNER.

President Taft has just taken an action
that Is worth hundreds of thousands of dol
lars annually to the pBper trust by refus-
ing to remove the tax from print paper and
wood pulp.
When the reciprocity bill was passed
provision was tackled to it providing for
the free admission of print paper and wood
pulp from Canada. This provision became
law whether the reciprocity act was agreed
to by Canada or not Therefore. although
reciprocity failed, print paper and wood
pulp are now admitted free from Canada
Five nations which ship paper to Ameri-
ca-Sweden, Norway. Denmark, Germany
and Austria-H Hungary - Immediately de-
Inanded of the United States the right to
also ship print paper and wood pulp to
this country free of duty.
I'VE have treaties with you" declared
these countries to the United States, lin
which you agree to extend to us the same
concessions you extend to the most favored
nations. Therefore we demand to ship
paper and wood pulp into your country
free OF duty the same as Canada" Obvi-
ously, this argument is unanswerable.
However, the President has announced
through the treasury department that tax
will be collected as heretofore on all print
paper imported from any other country
than Canada. The President advises the
European nations to appeal to the Customs
Court of Appeals, which. it is declared is
only subterfuse. Mr.. Taft has declared
he is willing to concede the Justice of the
demands for cheaper paper, but when the
opportunity offers, his acts refute his words
and show that he is willing to violate
treaties with five friendly nations rather
than to give even slight concession to
freer trade.
The tariff on print paper is to all practi-
cal ends tax on intelligence. because in
this day and age the great mass of the
people receive their education on public
questions through the newspapers. With
print paper practically controlled by trust,
the price has been systematically boosted
so as to work a hardship on the prosperous
publishers and to make print paper nigh
on to prohibtive to many of the small
country publishers whose earnings are not
any too great at best.
Meanwhile there is pending bill intro
duced by Senator Hepburn, which proposes
to repeal the Canadian reciprocity act.
Having been rejected by Canada. the law
is dead without being repealed. But If the
act is repealed, the live added section pro-
vidine for free print paper would also be
repealed. and the old tax on Canadian
paper would be restored.
Since the tax on Canadian paper and
pulp has been repealed, 81 independent
paper companies, representing capitaiza-
ton OF eighty-three million dollars, have
started up in opposition to the trust. AL
ready there have been some reductions
in prices, and this explains the reason of
the joker in the Hepburn repeater"
\
Why would II not be good idea for all
Democrats, everywhere, hereafter to taboo
the use of the word tariff" and in its
place use the term tax, which is what
tariff really is
If every Democratic writer and speaker
would use the term The Payne Aldrich
tax bill" instead of THE Payne-Aldrich
tariff bill, from now until the polls close
on November S, there need be little con
lecture as to the outcome of the election.
Who doubts but that If the Dingley tariff
bill had been known and referred to gener-
ally as the Dingley tax bill, and the McKn-
ley tariff bill as the Mckinley tax bill, and
the Payne-Aldrch tariff bill as the Payne
Aldrich tax BILL the Republican party would
not be in power today.
The word tariff is too indefinite. There
are hundreds of thousands of men who may
be brought to believe thakit would be to
their advantage in some Indirect, mystic
riOus way to vote for tariff, but who could
not be cajOled or cOerced into the cOnvic-
ton that it is to their individual interest
to vote to put an enormous tax on every
thing they eat, wear and use.
lfDemocratic editors will make it a stand
ing order in their offices to substitute the
word tax" for tariff" in every article
having to do with protection, and il every
speaker will carry on a similar crusade,
and II the movement will be made nation
wide, the problem of reversing Republican
victories at the polls will have been solved
Think this over
Our TERRITORY
One of the Chicago packers, in the trial
now going on at Chicago. complained that
Swift infringed on our territory" The
disputed territory was in New York and
Vermont. and the question naturally arises,
How did that territory, or any other terri
tory come to be the exclusive property of
Swift or anybody else
The answer is simple Because Swift
and the other packers, after driving the
butchers in the local communities In New
York and Vermont out Of business by I'M
derselling them, divided up the territory,
thus seized and called it their own. OF
course, 1t was theirs Having stifled all
competition. both from within and without
the district, they were left free to advance
prices Of meat to suit the amount of divl-
dends desired and to call the territory
their own"
THE ANSWER.
why talk about placing any of the
necessaries of life on the free list?" is the
cry that goes up from the Standpatters
every now and then. IF this we're DONE"
they ask. "how could the government raise
revenue to meet the expenses ?"
This is how: By levying an income tax
and an inheritance tax. as does every first
class nation on the face Of the globe, save
the United States Of America.