New-York tribune., 1912-08-25
TARIFF TALK IS Fiction
Miss Boswell Riddles Statement
of Wilson Women'S League.
SHOES HIGHER. TAX LOWER
Increase in Other Items, She
Shows, Not Caused by
Changes in Law.

'Trrillinr fciion' is the wa in vhicn
Miss Helen Va-fck Boswell, chairman or
tho department Of women's work OF tho
Rerublicau National committee. charar-
terizes the letter on the tariT sent out on
Friday bv the W1mans National NlsoA
/ and Marshall Organization.
Miss Daggett shows by a method OF
ejaculation not altogether obvious said
/ Miss Boswell, that each family IN the
/ United States b. paying Si23 a year more
/ for the necessities OF NE than they were
som. while ago-sne does not state Just
! when.
/ OF, IS only fair 20 suppose that Miss
/ DaEgett. like all other women is inter
est.a iu what women wear as well a.
what they eat. Well. then. lets begin at
/ N. foundation and talk about shoes.
The women of the country pay NOR
/ for their shoes to-daF than 81 few years
ago We have 10 admit A. out Miss Das-
gett should state In her next output or
/ thrilling illusions 20 robbers OF the Amer
lean home that under the existing tariff
! Law the duty was entirely repealed on
hides and reduced % per cent on boots
ana shoes.
/ Since we do pay more FOR this ma
terfal Vhen II r. made up the diacrep-
ancy In price must be blamed 10 some
/ source evidently other than the tarlH.
| Next 10 shoes We come 10 stockings, ana
/ If there IL any Increase IN tine price Ger
tainiy II cannot be attributed 10 any IN
crease IN the tariff. tor the duty on stock
/ ing, .as not changed IN tho least
/ 81 might cite many specific instances OF
articles OF our usual nousehoid co"sump-
I ton. potn In foodstuns and IN matters Oh
necessity and comfort. on which the taIlI
has been much reduced. and yet the prices
/ nave either remained the same or son-
/ higher 10 the ultimate consumer
The tariff ina. been greatly reduced on
cornmeal. lard. bacon ana ham. beef SAT-
/ and number Of other things In dally u"i
on the table The tariff has not been
q changed al all OH -four. potatoes. beans
eggs and vet We hear complaints OF raise
| IN prices Oh these articles, anu IL IL al
/ promptly charged TO the tarln.
The tariff on gloves has been reduced
on dress shields. on knives ana FORKS on
cotton thread oiIcioth and hnoleum' YET
possibly Miss Daggett, alons with the rest
OF ua. has 10 pay more for these Things
! than she used to.
/ cut the cost Of living Is a splendid
/ slogan, and one that appeals 10 every
one put the Inference that the cost Ci
/ living can be cut by cutting the tarit H.
/ as / have shown. not quite sound
/ BESIDES. In ali the Investigations Oh the
high cost OF living It is shown concii-
sively by unprcJudiced business inVesu-
gators that the trouble Is not with the
I tariff or any political policy but that II Ia
due 10 our antiduated and wasteful meth
| ODDS OF distributing our foodstufs anu 10
the wasteful and wholly inefficient ousi-
ness methods.
we are glad that the general puD'c ~
waking up to what is the real source Oh
trouble. and II certainly VIII De Wise 10
the very apparent fact that the chahsihs
of party policies will not cure hish prices
or lower the cost OF living save IN lhe
WAY very obvious during the short tenure
of Democratic administration IN the mst
nifty years, that when the Democratic
/ party II In there In no prosperity small
pay for any kind OF work, and presume
In that sense prices would have To fail
pretty nearly out OF sight as well as op-
portunities for employment