The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-07-29
NEW TARIFF HURTS
TRADE. DOES NOT
LOWER PRICES
Latest Figures Show Measure
Has Failed to Prove Promises
COST OF LIVING is HIGHER
Has Decreased output of American
Factories and Increased Imports
of Foreign Goods

The Washington correspondent Of
the New York Sun writes as follows:
The official record of the first nine
months of the new tariff law is now
available.
"The latest returns bear out EN-
phatically indications of the adverse
effects of the new tariff law on bust
ness as set forth in Washington de-
spatches to The Sun based on earlier
figures.
THE results not only tend to dis
credit the Democratic predictions
that the Underwood-Simmons law
would prove beneficial to the foreign
trade and the domestic industries OF
the country, but they also deliver a
hard blow to the Democratic prom
Uses that the new customs legislation
would reduce the cost of living.
Cost of Living Just as High
"The record 70. the nine months
shows that imports of manufactures
have enormously increased. Exports
of manufactures have fallen OIL, the
American factories have reduced
their output and finally the cost OF
living is just as high if not higher
than ever.
"The latest returns, for instance,
show that the import price of cattle
brought in under the present law
duty free, is almost 80 per cent. high
err than the price under the Payne
law with its protective duty Il year
ago. Also eggs. which were put on
the free list with much talk about
cheaper living, are now being import
ed without duty at a price about 20
per cent. higher than under the
Payne law.
Even in the cases of Clothing
wool and lumber, which also went on
the free list. and in many other
necessities which enter into the daily
life of the average man, on his table
or otherwise. the present import
prices are higher than those under
the Payne law of year ago.
Tho Democratic Defence
"The Democrats. OF course. refuse
to concede that the effects of the
tariff law on home industries have
been so impressively adverse as the
figures Indicate They attribute the
falling off of exports to the world
wide business depression, but that
does not explain the enormous in
crease in imports of manufactures.
Republican tariff expects and OH
ers contend that President Wilson'S
recommendation that the manufac.
turers of this country sharpen their
wits by rubbing them against those
of the manufacturers OF the world
has led the way to disaster and that
the rivalry with othe- manufacturers
by admitting their products to our
markets has reduced the domestic out
put by hundreds OF millions and ;he
exports of manufacturers s75,000.0OO.
THE theory that reduction Of dut-
les would increase revenue by slim
ulation of imports also has been
knocked into a cooked hat by the
cold facts in the case. for while i'm
ports have been increasing nearly
S1OO.OOO,O00 customs receipts have
fallen off S2G,0OO,OOO
Two official Statements
"The official statements just issued
by the Department of Commerce give
figures showing the failure OF the
new tariff law to stimulate the for
eign trade and domestic industries or
to reduce prices.
zone of these official statements
shows the figures Of the foreign trade
the totals of the imports and exports
for the month of June. the ninth
month of the operation of the new
tariff law: the other is a more elabor-
ate statement, the monthly summary
of commerce, and shows the details
of the trade for the eighth month Of.
the law, May 1914, compared with the
co rresponding month of the preced
ing year.
These render it possible. by their
use in conjunction with other and
earlier statements by tho same De
partment. to determine with accuracy
and in detail the reco-d OF the new
tariff in the nine months OF its opera
ton as to trade as whole and 10
eight months as 20 details.
The total imports in the nine
months operation OF the law. October
81 to June 30. amount to Sl.446,000,-
600. against s1.s64000.0OO in the
same months Of last year. an increase
Of SS2,O0O. 600. while the total domes
tic exports in the same time are ST.
T72000. 600. against sl.s20.0o0.000 in
the same months Of last year. a fall
ing of OF S14S.000,0O0 in exports
Fail in Customs Receipts
Meantime the Treasury figures Of
customs receipts show a fan of S26.
100000 in receipts from duties under
the new law as compared with the