Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-07-31

ducts. passed what was known as the
Farmers Free List Bill" placing
many of the n~ecessaries which the
farmer buys upon the free list. There
was opposition among the farmers in
Laany sections of the country-espe-
cially along the border and in the
wheat growing States-to the reci-
procity pact, but for the most part
the farmers of the country would
have accepted it if the Farmers Free
List bill had o been vetoed by ex-
President Taft. They would have ac-
cepted it, because it provided, as this
bill does, for adjustment on a COM
pensatory basis, of advantages and
disadvantages.
THE pneding bill as passed by the
House and amended by the Senate
places many of the products of the
farm upon the free list. 1t places
wheat and -four upon the free list,
with a countervailing duty against
countries that prohibit the free en-
trance to their market of our wheat
and -four; it places cattle, sheep,
swine, sugar. wool, eggs and potatoes
upon the free list, and it reduces the
duty upon some other products of the
farm, such as oats, rice, barley and
butter
1.-THE duty upon many of these pro-
ducts is of little value under the pres
ent trade conditions and upon some
OF them of no value, under any condi-
tons, to the farmer.
"In revising the tariff upon the
present high protective basis, logically
and necessarily heavy reductions have
been made all along the line.
Every man, whatever his occupa-
ton be, will be the beneficiary in some
direction to a greater or less degree
of this general system of reduction.
In this respect the farmer has been
shown special consideration. Practi-
cally everything he buys has been put
upon the free list or the duties on it
greatly reduced. For his special ben
eft cotton bagging and ties have been
put upon the free list. For his special
benefit the materials out of which
sacks for grain. wool, fertilizer, etc.
are made, have been put upon the
free list. For his special benefit, wire
fOr fencing and bailing purposes, and
similar articles for farm consumption,
have been put upon the free list. For
his special benefit plows, shoyels, hoes,
rakes and agricultural implements of
every kind and descriution have been
cut upon the free list. He viii be in
a very large degree the beneficiary of
putting building materials of vari-
Gus kinds, materials used in the con-
struction of roads, text books for
schools. etc., on the free list He will
he largely the beneficiary of putting
boots and shoes, low grade blankets
harness, saddles and saddlery, wagons,
carts, sewing machines, and other like
products of household and farm utility
and consumption of the free list.
I'm common with the rest of the
people he will share in the general
BENEFITS from the reduction of the
duty on sugar and it's ultimate aboli-
ton. And, finally, he will share with
all the people the benefits of the heavy
reductions which this bill makes on
wearing apparel of every description,
on crockery, hardware. household and
kitchen furnishings and utensils.
mo Grass OF our people have reaped
as little benefit from the Republican
tariff question and suffered as heavily
from itslawlessness as the farmer. No
class of u people understand the
u oSJISd1 OpV4 "a O0@ 49,
ter than the farmer. He knows that
under the Republican system he has
had to buy in a highly protected mar
ket, and sell most of his products on
a basis of free competition with the
world. The studied efforts to mislead
him with respect to the effect of this
bill upon him will not succeed. He
will study it and study it closely, as
rf&h rAonn0f IN do Il
all questions affecting his interests
and the common welfare. There is in
my mind no doubt that his verdict
will be one of approval, especially in
view of the fact that he will be among
the first T. feel the beneficial results
of the transition from a tariff in the
interest of the classes to a tariff in
the interest of the masses"
Discussing Schedule N, sundries,
Senator Simmons passed on to the
things transferred to the free list and
said:
Things Transferred to the Free List.
Under the House bill importations
of the value of $103. OO0, 900 are trans
ferred from the dutiable to the free
list. The amendments by, the Finance
committee add $44, 900 900 to this free
list, making a total of SAT. 00O, 900.
at is estimated that the increase
in importations, free and duitable, un-
the House bill as amended will
mount to $123, 600, 200. Calculated
upon the basis of free and duitable
imports, the average ad valorem in
the House bill is 27.84 per cent, and
the Senate bill 1851 per cent.
ION the basis of calculation the |
ad valorem of the Senate bill
is 4.22 per cent. lower than the aver
ad valorem Of the House bill, and
81 "a per cent. lower than the aver
age ad valorem of the present law
Because of its extension of the free
list and its reductions in rates on dut-
liable commodities, this bill is denounc-
ed by the advocates of protection as
a free trade
1T, is true. that the bill as amended
carries a large free list, SO does the
Pa~yne-Aldrich law, but there is Q
= H. 3d. ~A- Il