Semi-weekly herald., 1913-04-17

LeceQ-ne never neeueO TO De pro-
tected.
Cost Of production is never the
same in any one factory for two years
together. Haven't you seen compe
tition disappear?
The American people are taking
notice as never before.
What the people wear and eat must
be made cheap.
WASHINGTON, April 14-Presi
lent Wilson stands pat on free WOO
and ultimate free sugar. The crisis
n the tariff fight was reached Sat
Irday in both the house and senate
committees. It found Wilson fight
.ng and ready to carry his fight to
he people.
The United Press is able today to
present in part President Wilson,
ariff views as he sketched them dur
ng the campaign, as he has expound
d them to congressional leaders and
rs he expects to urge them in
'irect appeal to the people If he be-
ieves he is forced to the course by
opposition at the capitol.
What the people put on their backs
and in their stomachs must be made
heap, no matter who SUFFERS" was
he presidents final word to the SEN
ate finance committee. He insisted
that statement designed to create
the idea throughout the country, by
a campaign of advertising that the
rassage of the tariff bill would be
disastrous to the business of the coun-
ry, was absolutely false. He refer
ed his callers to his views on this
7ubject, frequently uttered, when he
said:
~ am always afraid that business
men who are uneasy have something
to be uneasy about. The American
people are taking notice in a way
they never took notice before, and
gentlemen, who talk one way and vote
another are going to be retired to a
quiet and private retirement"
This is the presidents position. He
sees no reason to compromise. He
believes that the people will stand
by him and that, if they will, he can
compel the tariff to be adjusted so
that the filling of the market baskets
of the nation will be far less costly
than at present. In this connection
the president has directed attention to
the position that he took when it was
charged that the low tariff would hit
the farmer hardest The president
said:
The American farmer has never
been protected for the very reason
that he never needed to be protected.
His grains are sold at prices estab-
lished by the prices which his produce
demands in foreign markets. That is
an economic fact But everything that
is used on the farm, everything that
IS worn and good deal of what the
farmers eat, but do not produce them
selves, including meats, bears heavy
duty which brings about the inter
esting result that the farmer is paw
ing for a great deal of the wealth
OF the United States and is getting
nothing so far as the tariff il con-
cerned.
Nothing is more unfortune, moth
ing is more unwarranted, than to
think of politics as contest of class
es. 1t is notorious that many men,
bers of the senate finance committee,
did not know the significance Of the
tariff schedules which were reported
by that committee in the Payne-A
drich bill. Take that very interest
ing matter, that will-o'- -wisp,
known as the cost of production as
basis for tariff legislation.
"1t is not the same in any one
factory for any two years together. 1t
does not exist as a scientific demon
stratable effect, and yet it was said
to have been the chief factor in franz
ing the present indefensible tariff.
ut was always said that the tar
III did not determine the prices be-
cause there was so much competition
within the United States that they
kept competition and trade on the
level. But haven't you seen the COM
petition disappear? Haven't you at
tended, by proxy, on congressional
hearings and court trials where the
whole process was disclosed. And
these prices are determined because
this tariff wall made it necessary to
bring all the processes up to the
highest point Of competition. Suppose
the owners Of twenty mills, which
have been competing, combine. Which
will receive the advantage? The most
poorly equipped mills. And then what
happens? As soon as the twenty are
combined, six or seven are closed
down and we pay on the products Of
the others because we pay the money
that was needed to shut them up. s.,
the business Of the country is stag
caring under the masses Of stock on
which dividends have to be paid "
the prices charged the consumer. But
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