The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1913-04-25
HOW THETARIFF BILL WILL
LOWER COST OF LIVING.

Representative Harrison, Democrat,
of New York, member Of the ways
and means committee, the following
question:
How does the new Democratic tariff
bill propose to lower the cost of liv-
ing?
Exactly how much will it reduce the
price of clothing, food, fuel and other
necessaries of life?
Mr.. Harrison answered these ques-
tons by the following statement:
The present tariff bill is the most
earnest attempt to lower the cost of
living, to break up the power of tariff
protected monopolies and to tighten
the burden of taxation since before
the war
The American producers of food.
clothing and other necessaries of
life will no longer be able to monopo-
lize the home market. They must
now compete on fair terms with the
producers of other lands. The con-
sumers will benefit through getting a
better article at less price.
This is the first attempt since the
foundation of our government to shift
the burden of taxation off the great
masses of consumers, where the tariff
places it, onto the backs of the
wealthy, who are best able to pay the
expenses of our government. Every
dollar which will be collected through
the income tax means a dollar less of
tariff burden on the plain people.
The income tax will be assessed
against the incomes of the wealthy to
make up the deficit in revenues that
Wi hn -
duties on the necessities of life And
every dollar of it will represent a
clear saving to the consumer on food,
clothing, fuel and other necessaries.
Under the new tariff, this amount can
be estimated at from $125, 100000 to
$150,000,000. The following resume
OF drastic reductions in the present
tariff law illustrates the far-reaching
effect the new bill will have:
Food.
Meats-All duty will be taken off
meats, fresh and prepared This
means that meats from Argentine can
be imported to compete with the pro-
duct of United States packers.
Fish-All fish are on the free list,
spelling probable average of 20 per
cent reduction in it's cost to consum-
ers. This covers the enormous catch
in the northern Atlantic waters,
majority Of which is marketed in the
east.
Bread-Biscuits, waters and bread
have been put on the free list This
opens the markets of the world to
every consumer in the country and
provides a formidable rival to the
biscuit trust" The Payne law, by
a Joker which remitted the duty on
unsweetened biscuits, prevented for
eign importations, because practically
all biscuits and waters have some
sugar in their composition.
Fruits-All citrus fruits, lemons,
oranges or grape fruit, are reduced
from IL to IL per cent per pound,
opening the markets Of the Mediter-
reanean to this country. The Payne
tariff effectually prevented competi-
ton, and limited the citrus fruits sup
ply to California and Florida. All
fresh fruits are cut from 25 cents to
10 cents bushel, permitting impor-
tations from Canada and the tropics.
Milk-Fresh, preserved or con-
densed milk is put on the free list.
Poultry-Live poultry is cut from
3 cents to l cent per pound; dead from
5 to 2 cents.
Cheese-Is cut particularly as to
the cheap grades used in quantity by
the average consumer
General Production general pro-
duce, used in great quantities by all
consumers, the duty has been cut in
some instances more than 100 per
cent.
The following list of necessary
foods represent the cuts that were
made:
Potatoes 60 on the free list. This
of prices by combines. |
Similar facts are true Of butter, beans,
will prevent the potato famine or the |
pickles, eggs, onions and peas.
Clothing.
Schedule K-The wool schedule is
the most heavily cut iterr Of the whole
tariff and means bettfF clothing and
better woolen furnis' 1ags at greatly
reduced cost. In some cases wooden
garments have suffered cuts of 18O
per cent. The duty on wooden cloth
ng in the new tariff will enable the
consumer to purchase for $8 a suit
.or which he now pays $40. The re
1uction on higher priced clothes will l.
De in equal ratio. Woolen socks, un-
ierwear, sweaters, muff1ers and gloves
will be imported into this country and
sold at prices much cheaper than now
prevail.
Cotton Clothing Cotton clothing of
vi kinds, including mems and women's
an enormous item, has
been cut 100 per cent
Leather and Leather Goods-With
he exception of dress gloves, leather
goods are put on the free list. This !.
will force American manufacturers of "
shoes to compete with foreign mar
lets. The cut in duty on mems dress
gloves will reduce their prices an /,
tverage of 30 cents per pair Work
gloves are put on the free +
ist
Fuel.
Bituminous and Anthracite Coal
These are now duty free and will per-
nit large impOrtations of English, !
Welsh and Canadian Goals.
Miscellaneous.
Paint-The consumer will be able
o purchase excellently made foreign .
,aints at very low prices.
Soaps-All soaps have been cut
rom 20 to per cent. This will force
American soapmakers to materially
over the prices of their products or
Increase the size Oh the soap cake.
Household F'urniture-The duty on /
I'LL household furniture has been cut
rom 50 to Is per cent. This will in