The Sentinel=record., 1913-01-30
MIR. UNDERWOOD DECLARES THIS WAS VERDICT OF THE PEo-
 PILE IN LAST ELECTION.
SHOE SCHEDULE WILL BE CUT
Committee Plainly Tells Delegation of Manufacturers That the Pres ent Tariff Now on Boots and
 Shoes Was Prohibitive.

Washington. Jan. 29.--An unsuc. cessful fight to have the house conn mittee on ways and means retain the present tariff of 10 and 15 per cent ad valorem on boots and shoes, oc- cupied most of today's session. Chair man Underwood, of the committee fiatly told the gathering of represent tatiyes of the wholesale and retail shoe industries of the country that the tariff was now prohibitiye. that there was no revenue and that reten- ton of the present rates was impos- sible. Questions Of the committee in dicated a sentiment favorable to q big drop in thUse rates.
 Numerous spokesmen appeared for the various branches of the shoe busi ness, national associations of the manufacturers, wholesalers and re- tailers and of the labor unions, all favoTing the present duties. MT. Un- derwood said the democrats did not purpose to play favorites as between industries in the work of carrying out
 
 ward that while he hoped taere never would be a democratic tariff so | below the reasonably competitive basis as to close down any factory in the country he and others of the com mittee wanted to write such rates as would stimulate . reasonable compeii- tion. He suggested that the final ar- bitter, the American people, at the last election had rendered q verdict for ''tariff for revenue instead of for protecticn' and that you cannot ex- pect us to write d protective tariif even if only two percent" This foreshadowing of the demo- cratic policy of the coming extra ses- | sion of congress came about i'll the examination Of J. Franklin McIlwain of Boston, head of a large shoe manu- featuring compaay MT McElwain protested that drop of percent ad valorem would mean the abolition os the manufacturers profits and that putting shoes on the free list gradu- ally would result In wage reductions.
 "The ultimate consumer" he agreed, would benefit by free shoes, but it would strike a blow at an inn mense industry"
 The committee was curious 10 know why the tariff was necessary when the American manufactures were selling shoes in "S7 countries in one instance "at the very door of the foreign competition"
 Mir. Mcllwain said exports we're no criterion of competitive conditions and you can sell a gold brick in any country; it's the salesman that turns the trick"
 There were numerous other wit nesses today and tonight, covering many subjects from asbestos to aigret- tes and from diamonds to a variety Of ladies jewelry trsukets.
 While James Marshall, representing the fur felt hat industry, was arguing against the duty on raw material used ,, in t1e fur felt hat industry an at. tendant placed beside him a brown felt hat 1t was Mir Underwood's and the chairman asked the cost of pro- ducing that hat In Italy, where it was made.
 ] Mr Marshall said the nat could De manufactured in Italy for about sey' , csaty cents and that the duty amount
 ed to about forty cents. Mir. Under
 wood and the witness agreed that the hat cost about $5 retailed in the Unit ed States. Marshall declared that the difference between the Sl.10 rep resented by the cost of production and the duty and the selling price of s was absorbed by the retailer and the middle man.