The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-10-10

ing June 80, 1912, we imported into this country despite the great bill championed by MT. Hill, 5b,312 dozen of hats made by foreign workers.
 For the year ending with June 1914, under the Underwood tariff, we imported into this country S6,724 dozen of hats.
 "Of the last named importations there were 1S,oe4 dozen imported from June 30, 1913 to October 3, 1918, under the Payne-A1drich act From October 4 to June 30. 1914 in-# lusive there were only 17,S30 dozen Imported under the Underwood act. making 1,464 less hats imported dur ing the first nine months of the On- derwood law than under the last three months of the Payne-A1drtch act.
 And to go further into the matter it might be said that the Underwood bill went into effect October 4th which would take three days from 1t and add them to the life of the Payne | Aldrich bill.
 '.The present tarin gives the hat in dustry protection of a. straight adva- lorern duty of 45 per cent with no fril1s or loop holes for equivocatlon at the ports of entry.
 "The Payne-Aldrich duty was of | four different grades and each grade had a specific as well as advalorem I duty.
 Ut is quite evident that Senator 1 Cumrnins could see what was going ] on and that Connecticut's interests 1 had been taken care of, and 1t fol- l lows that a bill framed as wisely as | the Underwood bill is going to bring l just as many advantages to other lines 1 as to the matters, who 1t is needless 1 to say are in better condition to do business than ever before as the new | bill gave them 8 5 per cent. reduction l in the duty on hatters' furs.
 s'It is significant to note MT. Hills 1 absence of thought upon the question of hats although he has been cam paigning for a year back. l "One of the largest manufacturing 1 interests Of Fairfield county Is the l silk business and again Senator Gum l rnins knew what he was saying for I this industry has as high as so per
 cent. duty on it's products.
 tI could go on and tell you rate i after rate in tariff talk, but Trum- < bul1' in the New York York Herald said:
 But the present tariff matters l have been shied into the scrap l heap, there to lie until something
 like economic sanity has been re-
 stored by the suppression of the I war and the re-esta blishnent of
 peace.
 q wish it were possible for me to explain to you in person the work of | Congress during the last eighteen months but it seems now that the emergency legislation. made neces- I sary by the great conhagration of I war in Europe, will require the pres
 ence here of all members of Congress lup to a short time before election, if not over that time. Seven hundred | million of people are involved in this sl war-tfle American people should I congratuIate themselves and be thankful to God that our peace is
 undisturbed and our own business and
 commerce not completely paralyzed.
 Let us hope and pray that the slangh-
 ter will soon end.
 "1 believe that. within the next
 ninety days, Europe will be taking all l most their normal amount of cotton,
 while Japan promises to double her usual amount; and with the increas- can mills the demand for cotton will
 again be strong and healthy, and this { will help business in general.
 .sAlready there is an indication of a
 great prosperity, and growth of export
 business. For the week ending Sep
 tember 27, 1914. the total general
 merchandise shipments from New
 York were of a value of $2o.0S2.132- This was an increase of 20 per cent over the corresponding week of a.
 year ago. It was also a gain of 35 per cent. over the preceding week, and I a gain of 125 per cent.
 .sDuring the past year we were ] staggered to learn. as the result of
 EEederal inquiry the extent to which
 the 10000 stockholders.- dows, orphans and trust funds had been ! swindled and robbed by those having the care of the business of the New ! Haven road which should be the best railroad property in the. country .ewhere was MT. HilJ, the well in
 formed gentleman who placed so
 much confiden in the railroad s
 management while this swindling was going on?
 .sWhere was our distinguished friend
 in the mad race for combination and : organization of traffic properties in our part of the country that squeezed
 out of the public the same rates for water freight as rail freight? Where was MT Hill when there
 was an effort being made to have the fl same rates of service given to the peo-
 pie of our State as is given to the peo- pie of other states by public service organi zations2
 people of our own town were paying a ten cent flare on the street-car lines land wanted a 5 cent fare? He was Etaking in dividends and he wanted the Eten cent fare because 1t made it l easier to unload his stock And he
 teWhere was the great man when , i the movement was started in our home town to give the users of light , l and power there a means whereby
 they might enjoy power for their fac tories and light for their homes at somewhere near the cost of produc- } ton?
 'eThe plant started at that time by
 the people Is now free from debt and the profit from the users paid for it. It is practically a gift of the, users of , electricity in our town to the com munity at large of a property worth a i quarter of a million of dollars
 "But, where was Brother Hill while ! that was going on-back of the law suits to cripple the plant?