Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1913-07-25
60 COTTON MEN PETITION CONGRESS Protest Against the Cotton Rates Scheduled in New
 Tariff Bill. :,
QUOTES PLATFORM
Say Democratic Party Did Not Intend to Destroy Legitimate
 Industry.

Washington. July 24-A petition signed by more than sixty of the most prominent cotton manufacturing and distributing firms in this country, protesting against the cotton tariff rates scheduled in the new tariff bill HOW under consideration in the senate, has been presented to both houses of Congress. The petition reads as fol- lows:
 To the Honorable Members of the
 United states Senate and House of
 Representatives. 63d Congress:
 Regarding II. R. 3321-(The Under wood Simmons Tariff Bib.
 We herewith voice our protest against the enactment into law of the unequal provisions covering cotton textiles. as disclosed by the various proposed rates published July II, 1913. embodied in the bill passed by the House of Representatives and amend ed by the Senate majority Democrat ic) Caucus.
 The Democratic platform declared and promised:
 We recognize that our system of tariff taxation is intimately connected with the business of the country. and we favor the ultimate attainment of the principles we advocate by legis- lation that will not injure or destroy legitimate industry"
 First. We cannot reconcile this with the low rates now proposed, which in many instances must injure legitimate industry.
 Second: We point out that we fairly represent the primary and oth- CT distributors of cotton textiles handling products of both North and South which go to every city, town and village in the United States.
 Third: The rates generally are be- low what they should be. The amend ments made are inadequate to fix competitive rates in accordance with the promises of the Democratic plat form.
 Fourth: AS we understand 1t, the purposes of the tariff revision gener- ally were to reduce duties, but not to disturb or inflict punishment on any branch of legitimate industry; and there has been no demand to overdo the reduction, especially in cotton tex tiles, as in many instances the case.
 Fifth: Some illustrations. Failure to provide higher adequate rates for cotton textiles made of combed yarns than if made of ordinary yarns; or higher adequate for finished plain woven or figured cloths than for grey; putting rates for jacquards on same basis as for ordinary cloths. and actually emitting jacquards in Senate amendments, etc., etc.
 Sixth: We endorse the effort of the Independent Manufacturers of New England who have willingly accepted great reductions, but asked that con- sistent and non-destructive rates, if on competitive basis, should prevail. We believe that they have pointed out the lowest possible competitive rates which in operation would be consist cut, and fair to the different branches of the industry-North and South. We do not comprehend why their recom- mendations have not been received in the spirit given.
 Seventh: We point out that 1t is better to err on the side of safety than to subject the industry at this time to the proposed rates more especially on productions of from medium to better grades of goods.
 We deplore the discrimination that subjects the cotton textile trade to these needless hardships.