The St. Joseph observer., 1922-08-19
WILL HISTORY REPEAT
ON THE SMOOT BILL2
CONTINUED from Page One)

NCOllllutu rum AdBS OhSJ
sellers, who will consequently be un-
able to buy from manufacturers their
wares for which there has come a di-
minished market. and when these
things befall, less labor is required in
the factories, hence general unemploy-
ment. hard times and all of the mis-
cries attendant thereon.
On One Hundred Million Backs
One Of the worst iniquities Of the
Smoot bill is the wool tariff, laid up
on the backs of more than one hun
dred millions of users of wool for the
benefit of less than half million
growers of wool. Under the present
CUnderwood) tariff law there is no
import tax on raw wool. We use
220, 100000 pounds Of this product per
year, and tariff or no tariff in the
past we have not, on the average, pro-
duced In this country more than about
half of the amount we use. Hence,
the new tariff rate of 33 cents per
pound on the secured wool means that
this will be added to each pound of
the 100, 100000 pounds imported and
will go into the treasury, but It will
also be added to the home product
and go into the pockets of the Ameri-
can wool growers, some of the wealth.
lest of whom are occupying seats in
the senate and have Just succeeded in
killing Senator Caraways resolution
to investigate their pocket-book in
terest in the legislation they are fas-
tcning on the people. 1t would not be
so serious a burden II the increase in
the cost of articles made Of wool
should end with the tax of 33 cents
per pound, but the truth is that 1t
only begins there. After the wool is
secured 1t becomes subject to a slid
ing scale Of increased tariffs, each in
tended to fatten the manufacturer
who puts its through the next process,
so that the carder, yarn manufacturer,
cloth weaver and clothing maker all
get their slice out Of the diminished
dollar of the public. The tariff pro-
lection of the clothing manufacturer
alone is fifty per cent, so that by the
time the suit of clothes gets to the
dealer 1t is calculated by Senator
Walsh of Massachusetts,, who is in
charge of the wool schedule for the
Democrats, that about seven dollars
will be added to the cost of a suit.
price on the cost TO him, which in
wolves another raise, depending on
what percentage he adds for overhead
and profit. On a heavy overcoat the
increase will be considerably greater.
on a woman's suit or coat it will be
almost as great.
VIII Stagger the Consumer
The wool tariff which will add
about forty millions to the pockets of
the wool growers will take from the
pockets Of the wool users, in tax and
profits to manufacturers in addition
to the tax that goes into the treasury,
about 1910, 10000 per year. This is
enough to stagger the man who is
lying awake nights trying TO figure
out a way to make ends meet. 1t is
we'll to remember that this new tax is
laid under the excuse of increasing
the prosperity OF a class OF men al
ready prosperous, the big wool grow
ers OF a few western states. Incl
dentally and through the courage Of
Senator Caraway in exposing the per-
sonal interests of half dozen western
Republican senators, 1t develops that
the political control Of these states,
the senate seats which they hold and
hence the control Of the senate itself,
are all involved In this new iniquity,