Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-09-11
TARIFF EXPERT
SHOWS FALLAC|ES
DEMOCRATIC LAW
Prof. Emery of Yale, a Native
Of Ellsworth, Maine, Made
Plain Why Prices Have Not
Been Reduced as Promised by
The Democratic Party

There is no man in the country
better informed on the tariff than
Prof Henry c. Emery of Yale Univer-
sity who was the chairman of the es-
pecially appointed tariff commission
under President Taft. The report of
this commission on its Investigations
is one of the most voluminous works
ever written.
At Ellsworth this week where he was
born, Prof Emery delivered short
speech on the tariff. He did not at
tempt to burden his audiences with
figures, but he did show, and showed
clearly, too, how a reduction of the
tariff will not affect the price of a
commodity when it is purchased by the
consumer.
1.-The ordinary tariff argument by the
Democrats" said Prof. Emery, lis that
the tariff is robbery and that a few
men are being made rich at the ex-
pense of the many. The Republicans,
on the other hand, declare that the
industries of America cannot compete
with the industries of Europe where
labor is much cheaper. AT. the same
time. the Republicans do believe that
every increase in duty is good and the
Democrats do not believe every reduc-
ton is good. If the Democrats believe
this, they would have absolute free
trade and not tariff for revenue only,
THE Republican party believes in
progressive changes in the tariff as the
changing business conditions warrant
them. They want to make these
changes in the light of understanding
and not in the dark Their idea is to
investigate and find where protection
is needed for the encouragement of in
dustries and where 1t is not needed.
The idea is to make these changes
where they are proper under changed
tariff conditions.
president Taft appointed a special
board for the investigation of this
subject. voluminous report on the
findings of this board was given. The
Democrats have refused to look at this
tariff report. The most of them are
not willing to make an investigation,
and large majority of the Democrats
in Congress do not know enough about
business to understand what these
problems are. The reason that most
Democratic leaders have not read this
report Is because one of them said he
knew all about the tariff and another
said he could not wait for an investi-
cation.
1.-The Democrats said the people are
paying too much for their goods and
that things must be made cheaper. The
party, the Democrats said, had made
promises to reduce the high cost Of
living, so it was necessary that they
get about their work at once. They
made their proposed changes in the
tariff, but there has been no reduction
in the cost of living and business has
been affected. The Democrats now say
that 1t will take time for the new
program to work out. Isn't 1t fair to
ask If it wouldn't have been better in
the first place to have taken the time
for an investigation and reading of
the tariff report and to have made the
changes when 1t was found out that
they would be correct and the best
suited to the needs of the country"
After referring to the failure of the
Democrats to bring down the prices
of various goods, Professor Emery de-
clared that the Republicans had said
foreign goods would sell under the
American goods.
THAT is true said Professor
Emery. but the answer Is: Who pays
for the goods? You can't put the
prices up without taxing the consum-
err Under the Democratic tariff, the
manufacturer says he has to sell his
goods lower in order to meet compe-
tition. The consumer. on his side says
he is paying no less for the goods he
buys That is a point that many seem
to have overlooked. There are always
two prices: the consumers and the |
the manufacturer gets |
and what the consumer pays. It is true |
that prices may be reduced by manu-
facturers, but 1t is also true that the |
price to the consumer is not reduced. |
This is the situation in great many |
Of the goods bought: in the textile in |
dustry. lumber, potatoes and other |
In all of these 1t makes
a great difference how the tariff is
fixed.
We'll take a suit Of clothes for in
stance, suit that sells for $23. The
cloth in that suit costs $3.50 yard;
that's what the manufacturer Of the
suit pays in this country. If the cloth
sells for $1.50 in this country, it would
sell at 81 a yard in Europe. Under the
old tariff, that cloth made at home in