The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-05-23
AIkEN'S VIEWS on TARIFF.
Receiving MANY Protests, But Do Not
Fear Effects of Reductions.

A dispatch from Washington says:
During the past week the South Caro-
lima members of congress have re-
ceived number of kilograms from
cotton manufacturers in the South
protesting against the passage of the
Underwood tariff bill. Most Of these
telegrams have been Identical in word
ing, although signed by different per-
sons, and this has led the members
Of congress to believe that the tele-
grams have been sent from a central
source, and that as rule the indivi-
dual cotton mill men are not worry
ing very much over the passage OF
the bill.
In discussing the receipt of these
telegrams Representative Wyatt AK
en- said:
president Wilson and this demo-
cratic congress were elected on a
platform which promised that they
would revise the tariff downward.
That promise was repeated on every
stump in the country in the campaign
last summer and fall. The Under
wood bill was prepared by the ways
and means committee and submitted
to the democratic caucus by vote
to the democratic caucus of the house,
and was approved by the caucus by a
vote so overwhelming as to be prac-
tically unanimous, and the democratic
members Of the house are doubly
bound, by the platform and by the
caucus, to vote efor it. am frank to
say that, even if 1 were not so bound,
7 would still vote for it, for I believe
it is a good bill and just one, franz
ed in the interest of the people, and
will give them relief. If there is a
temporary depression it will be be-
cause of speculation, and not by rea-
son of the actual effects of the bill,
CAS- to the cotton schedule: The
tariff duties on many lines of cotton
goods will be reduced, but the reduc-
ton in this schedule will not be
greater than the reduction in other
schedules. The cotton manufacturers
of the South cannot in good faith, ask
that they be given special privileges,
and we could not give it to them if
tHev should ask for it. But I am quita
sure the lowering of the duties on
cotton goods will not hurt the mills
to the extent that some of their plead
ers would have us believe. Many OF
the mills in South Carolina now ship
their entire output to Asiatic coun-
tries. and have been doing so for a
long time. TIL Y are underselling Eu-
ropean mills in order to do this, and
I fail to see how a reduction Of the
duties on imports can affect them.
Only few weeks ago a South Caro-
lima manufacturer evidently under
sold them, and yet he will have to
shin his goods half way round the
world. How is a reduction OF the
tariff going to affect condition of
this kind?
81 saw a statement the other day
to the effect that the price of raw cot
ten had dropped five dollars bale
because of the Underwood tariff bill.
Such decline has not been warrant
ed bv the actual facts. We have had
speculation in cotton under high
tariff system; in fact, cotton was at
its lowest price during reign of the
high tariff. 1t may be that cotton
speculators will try to use the tariff
bill to unduly depress the price of
cotton. 1 hope and believe none OF
the South Carolina mill men will lend
themselves to such a scheme If it
should be started--if, indeed, it has
not already started. But If such a
movement is on foot it must not be
laid at the door of the tariff bill, for
the farmers of the South will surely
remember the violent fluctuations in
the price only a few years ago, un-
der the high tariff system.
'But this effort to depress the prize
of cotton NAV be made, and now is a
good time to make a suggestion, that
has been made often before, to the
farmers, and that is that the cotton
crop this year >should not be too large
and that it should be produced at a
minimum cost It is not too late for