Milford chronicle., 1922-07-21
UNCLE TED'S
BEDTIME STORIES
MUCH INSTRUMENTATION ON THE
REPUBLICAN TARIFF-BIG
IMPORTERS POOLING
THE PEOPLE

for that morning they had received a
card from their uncle saying he was
returning from one of his frequent Wis
its to Washington.
Don't ask me any questions now,
exclaimed Uncle Ted after he had
greeted the children. 81 am tired and
hot and hungry. After dinner I hope
to feel better, and then will tell you
something of my trip"
Jack and Ruth waited as patiently
as they could while their uncle re-
freshed himself, and then led him to
the hammock on the porch and set
tied themselves for the story that
they knew he would tell them.
81 found it awfully hot in Washing
ton" began Uncle Ted. "MOst every
body who can afford it has gone away
for the summer, but those connected
with the government service are as
hard at work as ever, particularly at
the Capitol where the Senate is strug-
Cling with the tariff bill. There are
a thousand or more amendments that
the Finance Committee thought it
wise to make to that bill, and each
has to be considered and voted upon
by the Senate itself. But the most .eX-
asperating thing the Senators have to
contend with is the hostility of big
business concerns that make their
money by bringing goods from abroad
and selling them in the United States
at a tremendous profit to themselves.
Of course they want to keep import
duties as low as possible so that their
profits may be at the highest point.
They are busily sending circular let
ters all over the country, urging peo-
pie to protest to their Senators against
any increase in duties.
while 1 was at the Capitol call
ed on Senator Frank B. Willis, OF
Ohio. He showed me some correspond |
ence he has had with one of his con-
stituents that illustrates what 1 have |
been telling you. A clothing merchant |
in Ohio sent a telegram to the Sena- |
tor protesting against the rate of duty |
on secured wool as given in the pend |
ing tariff bill. He charged that it will |
increase the cost of suits and over
coats bought by the great rank of Am
erican men and women SO to $5 each.
Senator Willis replied to the man
at length, refuting the absurd ideas
that the big importers are putting in
reminded his correspondent that the
rate in the present tariff law is 10
cents a pound on grease wool; that 1t
takes about three pounds of 'grease1
wool to make a pound Of scoured
wool; and that the rate on secured
wool, therefore, is 45 cents pound.
In the new tariff bill the rate on
wool is fixed at SO cents a
which is an actual reduction
)f II cents pound below se rates
low in effect. /
showed the absurdity tge ting
hat suits and overca pe l.
raised several doIlap II the Hell
ariff on wool were to ed. Even on
.s,the entire 80 cents, ahhd were to Wer
dded to the imported cost of scour- inte
7ool it would only add SO cents to had
cost of a suit of clothes because it year
S about three pounds of wool to h
e suit. chill
he way the importers are trying w
aise prices on goods made from Will
,rted wool is in line with what with
have been doing with other i'm Nj
ed articles. Senator Willis show ter,
e a list of things made in foreign Mrs.
tries for a small sum, then RalI
ght over here and sold for many spen
5 the original cost, the difference, entsi
purse, going into the pockets of MI
Importers as profits. Table knives, very
that cost 2.75 cents each MI
axe abroad are sold here at 80 burg
!, an increase of 991 per cent. day
IS gloves cost 27 cents abroad Go
are retailed here at So, an in ana
e of 627 per cent. Straw hats Sund
1T in England for SO cents each netts
old here at 81, an increase of 479 Mr.
,ent. RaZors that cost 21 cents dren
d are sold in the United States time
a raise of 2,281 per cent. And Chas.
through a long list. Ro,
turaIly the men who are getting are v
rom such transactions are des- Georg
civ irving to keen the rates of Mrs
down SO that they can go on TuesC
ng foreign-made goods to this Huds
nv at a minimum of cost and H. H
g them to the American con-
IS at maximum of profit. While
rocess is going on, of course the
GERS in this country are being
ed of a market for their goods,
merican industry and American IRE
earners suffer accordingly. In cIOc
ase of wool, for instance, the OUT:
er of sheep in the United States MIS-
ed almost half under the free LIME
Democratic law that prevailed w; III; -
INT years prior to the emergency w IL
law now in effect. What has nOnle
ned in the sheep industry the NJ w
'aders would like to see repeat .'Sa
other lines of production. They M NTrs
us to buy chemicals from Ger iii, ~ =
eggs from China, beef from WIN
America, cloth from England C.1,
rance, and butter from Den O,'o1i. la,
II IS easy u gee ,",.. VIA of %SeIo tSesa % Mi
if such a policy should prevail.
2 reason why a protective tar
necessary on wool as we'll as
products was made clear by Mr..
IF Willis when he showed me lily sp
ne ounce of gold buys 20 hours Mrs.
k in the United States, so hours Mr..
sat Britain, 80 hours in Japan, tertail
urs in France, and 200 hours in Nand N
ny. Unless the difference in the y Mis-
f production in those countries return
ere is compensated by ample phia,
rates, of course our own work. with
must be content to accept the Edna
4 standard of living or else lose Mis-
While these diff ringto
IS in wages and standards of Mr..
obtain Senator Willis told me, childr
aintenance of a protective tariff forme
nerican workers, including the Miss
IS, is, in my Judgment, essential Dorotl