Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-04-14
FOUR MONTHS OF NEW TARIFF.

the effects wrought by the Underwood tariff They
come from publications of varied political faith and are
interesting showing the conclusions drawn from the
different viewpoints of economical discussion.
Speaking generally and mindful of certain important excep
ons observers find that the whole the Underwood
tariff has accomplished little either for good or ILL Its
beginnings declares the New York Sun nd) show less OF
revenue decreased mporations of and partially manu-
facured materials many great industries stimulated and en-
arged importation of finished products The increased I'M
poaons foodsus do not seem to have brought the con-
sumner any apprecabe reduction in the cost of living
the big industries thought be facing ruin as result OF Tor
epn competition To mention few of the chief industries
find the New York Journal of Commerce asserting that the
steel business had nothing to fear from the tariff changes and
has been perepby affected by hem The textile trades
were noiceab hit but to be generally prosperous and
confident of keeping their grip the domestic market and
even of reaching into foreign fields The and
the farmer alike may find food for thought in the statement
showing that the meat mpoaons in the first quarter under
the tariff almost nnitesima compared with the ma
ona consumption for that period Sugar producers and re-
ners are indeed complaining partly because of the tariff
uncertainty" And might be said that proectionist
papers their that despite the small apparent dam
age the worst to Imports did not leap as they
were expected admits the New York Press Prog perhaps
because had money pay for them but will not be
very long before the United States will be digging down deep in
to jeans pay its foreign bills of hundreds of millions of
dollars yearw The Kansas City Journal Rep) likewise
its largely agricultural constituency that the country
about be flooded with imported ooduffs thereby reduc
buy the products of the farm"
The official figures for importaons for the first four
months of the Underwood ta-Ocobe November December
and January lasare thus quoted in the New Yorks Sun
Washington correspondence:
he total value of all manufacturers materials imported in
the four months under the law $3000O0000,
against $34 100000 in the month under the Payne law
reduction Of 10 per manufactures ready for consumption
00O against $143000000 increase of about per
foodstufs $61 OOO0O0OOO against $142OOOO00
increase of about 20 per cent
The fact which the Philadelphia Record vouches for that
spent 100000 less for foreign goods during these four
months under Democratic tariff than did under Repub
can tariff in the proceeding year. gives mo support the
ton that foreigners dumping their products shores
in the hope of destroying industries
With 20 per cent gain in importaons of foodsuffs and
900 pounds of meat said to have been brought here dur
ing the last quarter of 913 the New Orleans
wonders why the addition to domestic supply fails to af
feet retail prices notceab The Wall Street Journals
is that total imports amounted to ess than nneenhs of
per cent of the estimated total consumption for those three
months Secretary Houston of the department agriculture
points out that most of the beef coming from Argentina
signed from beef trusts plant in Argentina itself When
study the mporatons of all the principal foodsuffs says
the New York Suns Washington correspondent find that
Wh importation of most of the articles has increased the
amount compared with domestic production and total consump
on has been small that effect upon prices apparent
In fact in large number Of the articles in question the
prices higher at the latest quotations than before change
in the tariff"
If predictions made by proteconist tariff debaers had
true the wooen manufacturing industry this country would
to use the New York Worlds phrase have been far down the