The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1922-11-09

POLITICIANS won LNtiE etAAt III kVu-
gress by stating that this protective
tariff was the cause Of the then SEEM
ingly high price Of sugar and that
we should have free sugar. Shortly
after the tariff was reduced on sugar
the Independent Beet Sugar factor
les of Idaho, Utah and California
were closed and we have had dearer
sugar ever since, so that the low
duty on sugar instead of reducing
the price of sugar to the consumer
here has had just the opposite effect.
For a great many years, in fact
ever since Cleveland's free wool ad
ministration, up until the first term
Of President Wilson's administra-
tion, we had a protective tariff of SO
cents per secured pound on wool.
During all those years we had cheap
er clothing of good quality. For
many years during that time the to-
tai cost of the cloth for an all-wool
suit Of clothes without any adultera-
tion whatever was So so at the mill
and the fine cloth and heavier
weights ran up to $4.50 for enough
to make a fine suit of clothes. For
eight years during the Wilson ad-
ministration we had free wool and
there was a time in the history Of
this country when we paid such
high prices for all kinds of clothing
and there never was a time when
they were of such poor quality. For
sixteen months the emergency tariff
was law and it carried a duty on
secured wool of 45 cents per pound.
the highest tariff on wool we ever
had. In spite of this fact the whole
sale and retail prices on clothing
have been gradually coming down to
normal, as we say. The quality has
been much improved. Now bear in
mind until September 81, the duty on
wool was As cents per secured pound,
and that it is now 81 cents.
The new rate is a reduction of IA
cents per pound on secured wool,
and in the face of this proposed re-
duction in the tariff the alarmists are
telling us that the price Of clothes
Will be increased from what it is to-
day. This is certainly unjust to the
producers Of wool and shows how
easily people are misled by those
who are loud on talk and short on
principle. 1t only requires about
four pounds or less of secured wool
to make a genuine all-wool suit of
clothes, and it matters little whether
the duty is 20 cents or 80 cents per
pound on secured wool. At 81 cents
the total amount Of the duty is only
$l.24 for the wool in our very best
suit Of clothes, and this would all be
lost sight of by the time it reached
the consumer as the general appear
ance and makeup of a suit of clothes
has many times more to do with its
retail selling price than the tariff
does. In order to show how little
the tariff has to do with the retail
selling price of any article, | wish
to submit for example thirteen illus
trations. The articles referred to
were all purchased within the last
few months from some of the large
retail stores in New York City by a
representative of the U. S. Govern
ment. The details are taken from a
report printed by the Finance Com
mittee of the United States Senate:
Ladies kid gloves, l6 button, "a inches
long. made in Germany, and worth there
79Ac. transportation charges, SIC. The
rate OF duty is $3.50 per dozen pair or SIC
per pair, making a total landed cost in the
United States of sl.201a per pair. These
gloves were retailed by Rothchild & Com
pany of Chicago at $685. per pair. which
makes the percentage of retail price to
landed cost, with duty paid. 477 per cent.
Electric fatiron made in Germany,
bought there for SOC. Transportation
charges are Soc each. The duty is 20 per
cent or ll.sc. making the landed cost in
the United States 76.7c. The retail price
in the United States at Zuckerman Electric
& Machine Company is $3.50, which makes
the percentage of retail price to landed cost
TAI per cent.
Ladies' silk bloomer and chemise tone
sct). made in Belgium, worth there sl7.5l.
Transportation charges are 45c each. The
duty of go per cent is extremely high, as
they are classed Injuries. Total duty, 1850
and total landed cost in the United States,
S2S.46. These are retailed by A. N. Saad,
New York City. at 500. making the per-
centage Of retail price to landed cost 216
per cent.
Common cabbage seed, produced in Den
mark. a -ounce package, there worth l.95c.
Transportation charges are .09c per pack
age. The rate of duty is &c per pound or
.06c per package, making the total landed
cost duty paid in the United States 2.1c.
These h%-ounce packages are retailed by
Stump 4 Walter Company, New York
City, at 35c per package. making the per-
centage Of retail price to the landed cost
1857 per cent.
Mems straw hats, made in Italy, valued
there at 6s.2c. Transportation charges, lie
each, with a comparatively high duty rate
of 40 per cent, amounting TO 27.6c each
or a total landed cost, duty paid, in United
States Of SLOTS. One of these hats was
purchased at Saaks & Co., New York City,
at the retail price of 81, making the per-
centage of retail price to the landed cost
go per cent.
Haarlem oil produced in Holland. valued
there at Use per bottle. Transportation
charges csc each. The duty at 20 per cent
ad valorem amounts to 1.42c each, or a
total landed cost in United States, duty
paid, Of size. This oil was purchased
from NJ. Coward, New York City, at Soc
per bottle. making the percentage of re-
tail price to the landed cost 526 per cent.
A very fine 4oo-day clock made in Ger
many, with a value there of Sl.70. Trans
portation charges are &c. 80 per cent duty
is 5lc, Total landed cost in United States
is s2.27. This clock was purchased from
Peter Korn & Sons. New York City, at
the retail price of $50, making the percent
age Of retail price to the landed cost
1921 per cent.
Common ordinary shears made in Ger
many can be bought there for l5.4c each.
Transportation charges are l.54c each.
Rate of duty is 80 per cent or 4,6c each or
a total landed cost in the United States of
ZIG each. These shears were purchased
from Nev-A-Hone Razor Strop Company,
New York City, at the retail price of $2.65
a pair. making he percentage of retail
price to the landed cost. duty paid, l,l27
per cent.
A 22-caliber rifle. bolt action, made in
Belgium, with a value there of sl.09.
Transportation charges l5c each with a
duty of So per cent amounting to $50 each.
Total landed cost in the United States
Size. This gun was purchased from Davega
Bros. New York City, at the retail price
of $40. making the percentage of retail
price to the landed cost with duty paid.
5l7 per cent.
One of our ordinary good razors can be
bought in Germany for 29.9c. Transporter
ton charges are ale. The rate Of duty is
high, So per cent nd valorem, making a