The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1922-04-06
The Cost of Excessive Protection
and How 1t Works.

The Fair Tariff League is a protec-
t,onist organization that wants the
graft and ovcrciarges taken out OF
the tariff, SO that it will protect our
standards. OF living and wages with
cut adding unnecessarily to the cost
Of living.
1t has analysed 20 industries with
the help Of reliable experts, and finds
such astonishing facts as these:
In the total 20 industries the So
Jailed protection given these few
manufacturers was $2,o6s, 900, 900,
which Increased as it passed through
the hand OF wholesalers, retailers, etc.,
until it cost tie consumers $474I,-
100000, a greater sum than was levied
n any one year from taxes during the
great war; and yet this amount went
cntrel y to manufacturers and dealers.
directly out of the pockets of the
public.
IEe Government collected only $751;
10000 II revenue on imports OF these
Products in 1914, and $05,ooo,ooo in
1920. Was there ever such terrible
Iuden put upon people with so
"ltlc benefit gong 10 the Govern
1lcnt:
: These industries make textiles, hos
lrry, collars and cuffs, cutlery, clocks
and watches, hardware, china and
Glassware, and other things common
y bought i'll OR storcs,-tlle neces
aries Or lie.
he hosiery manufacturers, for i'll
,tance, were given false protection
Il 1919 OF SI02, 900 900, which cost the
consumers $751; 10000, and the Gov
"f'meut collected only 100000 in
1910. and S2,Sonooo in 1920. We
make hosiery and knit goods cheaper
'han any other country i'll the world.
We exported sol 100000 in 1920
42ain't only $5677,ooo OF imports.
Or silk hosiery is retailcd freely in
Iais, md our cheap cotton socks
ave sod as low as fifty cents PEI:
dozen pairs at the mill. The hosiery
people are commonly understood to
F. ct close together on prices. They
have lnede tremendous profits. Think
raj The /. $. Government adding $751;
100000 to our hosiery bill under the
uane OF protection.
So our cottol. manufacturers got
$4,000 900 to add to their prices,
which amounted TO $LII4,ooo,ooo by
the time it reached the consumer,
and tho Government collected on cot
tom imports in 1910 only Sl5,0oo,ooo
g"I iii 1890 So, 100000.
There is this difference, however,
}.,t cheap domestic cottons, are sold
{, broad today at as low a price as the
domestic price, and the cotton nlanu-
iacturcrs do not add the duty to the
price Of cheap cotton, and the Pc pie
escape part OF tn: possible tax.
In many trades, however the entire
duty l. added to the domestic price,
Files, Tor instance, carry a h:avy
duty, which domestic manuia .iurlr,
add to their prices, and thea s,,i.'
abroad at 20 per cent less than they
charge domesti, users. 1t used to be
10 per cent less. Screws used 10 be
only hall the price from American
makers to foreign users, VITA the
double price against American users.
On porcelain and china wal. The
protection given in 1910 was $1,000. =,
900, which cost the consumer sos,
100000, for the4e people are under
stood TO work closely together on
prices, the big four issuing price
lists simultaneously at interval, an!
the little fellow following at little
less price. The tile manufacturers.
belonging TO thi group, were recent
ly sentenced to Jail, an another
group disbanded by order q! the
court.
On leather gloves protection cost
the public in 1919 about $I2,og',, 900,
against which the Government col.
lected 100000, and in 1920, $G,mc
900. The price of gloves went SC
high that everyone went without them
who could.
In these ways the United States
has done more to 81,
port and encourage the price-fixing
.han any other single az -ncy in The
world. Our tariff duties are s. nign
IN these 20 induya:cs making in all
SIo,0o8, 100000 in 1919 that onl, IL
per cent of con- nmptioh was import
ed of these produ:!s, and II per cent
in 1920. In 1914 importations were
So per cent and 27 per cent i'll 1920.
For twenty years imports have been
almost entirely novelties, ether i'll
lesion or ui,a1ity Ry charpiny from