The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-28
UNDERWOOD'S FAME AT ZENITH

not have any rights but it was finally set
tied, through the magnanimity of Mr..
Payne. who viii have charge of the re-
publican end of the debate, and Mr.. Muir
dock was allotted six hours, to take it all
up himself or divide it as he pleased.
II was quite evident to a man up a tree
that is to say. to a man in the gallery
that Mr.. Murdoch and his party are re-
sarded as a subject of amusement rather
than an occasion of offense by both OF
the real parties in the House; the repub-
llcans do not trust them and the demo-
Gratis do not want them. Mr.. Mann said
that Mr. Underwood had been very gem
erous in his treatment of the opposition.
1t was noted that the benches on neither
side of the House were full: that there
was not a single seat occupied in the dip
lomatic gallery, and that the President
who, 1t has been announced, expects to
occupy his room at the capitol for the pur-
pose of comforting with the senators about
the distribution of offices. was not pres
ent to encourage the opening of this his
toric debate. Much is to be forgiven,
however, to the absentees, because 1t has
been generally agreed that the bill will
pass THO Rouse as II StanuS.
What will happen in the Senate no one
can tell exactly, but as the Senate and
House, as organized at present, are al
most 'as like as two peas" it is almost
certain that the Senate win follow the
House, This. at any rate. is what the
democrats are hoping for, and there
seems 20 be no reason why the tariff bill
should not be enacted into law by the
middle of the month OF May. Will It re-
duce the cost of living? Mr.. Underwood
thinks that after the merchants OF the
country have disposed of the stocks of
goods they now have on their shelves the
effect of the new law will be felt IN this
practical way.
The law is to go into force Immediately
upon its passage, and, as merchants who
buy their goods the cheapest ought to bs
able to sell them at lower prices than
the merchants who loaded themselves
with stocks of merchandise at higher
cost, there should be Immediately among
the merchants that competitive condition
which the new law is designed to create
What will happen to the merchants who
are loaded with high priced goods is an
other matter. What the country wants
and needs is lower cost of living. Com
petitive conditions. it is claimed, do not
invariablye produce lower prices. The
Standard Oil trust was smashed about
year ago, and some persons claim that
there has been no reduction in the price
of oil. Fertilizer materials were admitted
free of duty, and the price has gone up
$3.50 a ton. Persons who use tobacco de-
clare they have not realized any very SUBJ
stantial benefit from the competitive con-
dition assured by the dissolution Of the
tobacco trust. There is no question that
If the new tariff law should reducs tho
cost of living it would be hailed as the
greatest boon that could be bestowed upon
price ridden people.
The railroads and manufacturing estab-
ishments that have been compelled to In
crease their wages because of the high
cost of living ought to be able to reduce
wages just in proportion as the cost of
living shall be reduced, SO that the bene-
fits OF the new law will be general. and
especially after the merchants have dis
posed of their present stocks of goods
and competitive conditions have been fully
established.