The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-04-16
REy1sIoN INCONSISTENCIES.

A GOOD many of the Inconsistencies
involved in the tariff bill as reported
are being pointed out in the discussion
of the various schedules when these
are compared For instance, dressed
leather comes in free, but raw skins
are taxed, which 10 clear and lnde-
fcnsible discrimination against the
dressed leather industry of this conn'
try; as the schedules should be exactly
reversed: raw skins should come IN
free and dressed leather should pay
customs duty; otherwise American
labor in this industry is not only as
criminated against in putting dressed
leather upon the free list. but 1T is
doublv Disseminated against when the
raw skins arc taxed.
There does not seem to be any pro-
priety. either. in the proposition to put
a duty Of 90 per cent ad vaiorem
on the hair of the angora goat, and
at the same time to put wool on tne
free list. The only explanation gwen
is that the angora goat industry is sain
TO be confined almost exclusively TO
the single Congressional district In
Texas from which Representative John
N. Garner comes. and he is one oil The
Democratic members of the Ways and
Means Committee. 1t appears. there
fore, that ne has fully resolved TO
take care of his constituents on strict
ly protective lines, while throwing open
other constituencies to the free compe-
titiou Of the world.
Again, the bill puts flour upon the
free list. but retains the l0rper cent
duty on wheat. This is a clear dls'
elimination against the American mil
lers, and the Representatives from the
great milling districts of the United
States are up in arms against IT. They
saw that il there is to be any tax at
all it ought to be on -four and not upon
wheat, for otherwise American millers
are put at 10 per cent disadvantage
az compared with Canadian and other
foreign millers.
Again, the bill puts beef on the free
list and taxes cattle 10 per cent Re-
publican members of the House are
quite unable to see the point OF making
this discrimination against live cattle.
IF beef is put on the free list, surely
cattle ought also to be imported tree.
In fact, it is moro important to make
beef pay a. tax as beef than to tax
cattle as cattle, because with tree nm
ports of cattle we might hope before
long to get stocked up again upon beef
cattle, so that the price would no longer
continue to rise and We might hope
after a while to see decline In prices.
The reason why beef is so favored, 1T
is explained, is because of the scarcity
Of cattle in this country; but cattle
raising and cattlc-slaughtering COM
prise vast industries in the United
States that ought to be encouraged
rather than discouraged as this pro-
posed Democratic tariff would do In
this connection it is urged that the
United States would be made the dump
ing ground of the world for diseased
and unfit meat, because imports beng
free, the refuse Of the world would be
dumped on us, for the reason that our
meat inspection laws at ports Of entry
are so lax that they do not afford real
protection to our people in this respect
We do not consider. however, that this
is valid objection TO the proposed re-
vision. There is enough 10 condemn
this revision without bringing IN
matter Of that kind, because it is en-
tircly competent for Congress TO enact
inspection laws that will be ample to
protect the people against the dumping
Of unfit meats or foods Of any kind
upon the markets Of this country. If
our inspection laws are not sufficient
they can be made sufficient.
We do not, therefore, favor the urg-
ing of frivolous or mere sophist1cal
objections against the revision of the
tariff The propositions that we have
specified above as Objectionable are OBJ
ioctionable on practical, solid, and just
grounds; but the proposition that be-
cause our inspection laws are not
strict enough we arc liable to DC made
the dumping grounds Of the world is
not valid objection, since those IN
spection laws can be made what sani-
tnry science and pure food require, by
an act of Congress. We believe IN
criticisms of this kind being candid,
fair, and put upon practical, substan'
tial grounds, and not made mere fanci-
full or sophietical pleas that have no
real foundation, or where the matter
complained Of can be cured by our
selves without any possible objection
on the part Of any nation or people