Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-04-13

any where but IN the headlines. Per
haps Senator Ashurst will make a
speech or two upon the theme. and in
the manner promised. He will prove
comedy relief in the tragedy of total
depravity he SO greatly deplores. AFTER
| wards he will be forgotten unless he
proves the possession of real ability.
The senate has been orally tarred and
feathered on sundry occasions and ora
torically ridden upon rail. 1t likes
the entertainment as much as the
press gallery enjoys it. It will well
come Senator Ashurst and he will be
heard in one, or If he proves really
diverting, in two or three speeches"
BUSINESS MEN AND THE TARIFF.
The National Retail Dry Goods asso-
citation has taken up a nationwide
| campaign for the continuance of Presi-
dent Taft's tariff board. This cam
paign was not started as political
move, as the members of this organiza-
ton of merchants who have 100000
100 invested In business enterprises,
are Of all political faiths but purely as
business move because as business
men they are convinced that scientif-
ically determined and fixed tariff
would make for settled conditions. And
they are convinced that a revision
based on scientific information would
remove the tariff as a local ISSUE"
The reason for the campaign at this
| time is that the members of the demo-
cratic house have threatened to "starve
out" the tariff board, and thus far this
session have ignored a bill introduced
to appropriate 100000 for the contin-
uance of the tariff boards work. In
addition reports made by the tariff
board on certain schedules after
months of painstaking investigation
both here and abroad have been cast
aside and democratic tariff bills in
troduced that were built on the old
trading and log rolling methods, while
the scientific information furnished
ignored.
An official statement given out by
the executive committee of the dry
goods association gives the reasons for
advocating the continuance of the tar
if board as follows:
Convinced that the business of the
retail dry goods trade is harmed more
by the wholesale changing Of the tar
If than by any specific raising or low
ering of individual schedules, the Ma
tional Retail Dry Goods association is
in favor of a scientific and gradual re-
vision of the tariff. The association
favors in general the investigation of
non-politicel bodies, as exemplified in
the tariff board to make a study for
congress, of all proposed national legis-
lation, in order that such legislation
may be based upon facts. scientifically
obtained. ), 81
Chairman A. NJ Cooper of the execu-
tive committee of that association ex-
plains more fully in an additional
statement why the business men have
taken up this campaign. He says:
1--WE department store men don't
care whether there is tariff or wheth-
er there isn't one. But We do want
to be sure from season to season that
the prices of the commodities in which
we deal are not going to turn somer-
sault. Few people understand how far
ahead the average department store
proprietor of this country has to see
in order to run his business success
fully. All orders for our next Christ
mas stocks, for example, have already
been placed by most of this country's
department stores. Yet, until we are
assured that the tariff is going to be
modified gradually in scientific man.
ner, instead of turned upside down to
meet each popular whim or fancy, we
can't tell whether we have bought our
next Christmas supplies for higher
prices or for lower prices than our
competitors.
Uncertainty about the tariff makes
business in this country wild gamble
ness-like calculations. Uncertainty up
every one unwilling to do anything"
The New York papers have Endorsed
the campaign taken up by the retailers
The Evening Mail says:
The tariff board is a good thing
Having secured 1t, it is patriotic duty
to sustain it, and 1t is foolish partisan.
ship that threatens to starve it into
moribund condition by Withholding
the supplies.
The great retail dry goods dealers
of the country, representing forty-two
states, have rendered a public service
in coming to the rescue of this board,
and in demanding that the democratic
majority in the house cease its efforts
to throttle this agency for the scienti-
fic determination of equitable tariff
rates.
The members of this board are really
experts, chosen to perform public
task scientifically and to furnish to
congress accurate data upon which to
base tariff legislation. The plan has
been received with complete satisfac-
ton by all business men, to whom the
essential thing is the removal of the
tariff from party politics. These bust
ness men deserve to be needed by the
reckless majority in the house when
they protest earnestly against the
Gripping of the tariff board.
The New York Times Says:
1t is not surprising that the organ
J lied retail dealers of the country
should come to the support of the tar
| If board as they have so emphatically
done. And We should say that the
voice IF the men administering depart