The Commoner.
IUJGUST 7. W03.
if
HIDES AND SHOES
The Boston CommercIaT Bulletin,
the leading commercial journal of Now
England, which by the way is con
trolled by the present lieutenant gov
ernor of Massachusetts, while advocat
ing the removal of the duty on hides,
has been intelligent enough to see
that the shoe manufacturers could not
BuccessfuUy contend for free hides
unless they were ready to assent to
tree shoes. It has accordingly can
vassed the tanners and shoe manufac-,,;
turers of New England, asking this
question:
"If hides are free will you consent
to have your products free?"
Of the tanners twenty-nine replied
In the affirmative and eleven in the
negative. Of the shoe manufacturers
311 replied in the affirmative and 91
in the negative.
It is certain that at no previous
time could a similar result have been
obtained. New England is devoted to
protection and a large majority of
these responses were doubtless from
business men who believe in that gen
eral policy. The average American
business man believes In a practical
policy that will build up this coun
try. The sentiment revealed by this
canvass is due to the development of
shoe manufacturing in the west and
the growth of the export trade. Com
petition at home is sharp. It is said
that the factories of the United States
can now make a year's supplies of
ehoes for our population in seven
months. Ohio, Illinois and Missouri
fcave made great gains in shoe manu
lacturing in the last ten years, while
the census of 1900 showed that Masa
chusetts had 8,729 less operatives "in
1900 than in 1890. New England is
losing her domestic market, and un
der pressure is finding a foreign mar
ket The foreign trade is growing
rapidly, but it must be won in compe
tition with the world and with rivals
who have all of their raw material
free. New England must import a
portion of its raw material because the
domestic supply is insufficient, and the
supply of hides unlike that of most
other commodities, does not respond
to changes in price. Farmers do not
raise more or less cattle because hides
ere high or low. The domestic output
cannot be stimulated. The buyer must
go abroad to supplement the supDly.
The duty is 15 per cent, and the Amer
lean exporter of shoes is building up
a trade despite this handicap, but he
could build it faster if he had equal
terms with his foreign rivals.
This is the situation confronting the
shoe Industry. There are two views
that will be taken of it in the republi
can party and among protectionists.
One is that the "good old wall of pro
tection, over which have grown the
vines of content and plenty," is
threatened, and that these "mouth
Ings" from Massachusetts are from
"skulkers between the lines" who
ought to be "skinned." The other is
that the policy of protection has done
its splendid work for the shoe Indus
try, and that if new conditions now
require changes in the schedules to
further promote it, the changes should
be made. The shoe manufacturers who
are finding an outlet for American
made goods in all parts of the world
nre employing American labor and
making a home market for the Amer
ican farmer, and if that ten't what
the republicans of Iowa have been
striving for all these years, what have
wo been aiming at?
The Philadelphia Preag, one of ths
staunchest champions of protection lm
the country, makes dear which of
these views it holds to, by the follow-
ng paragraph:
"Over $6,000,000 worth of boots and
shoos were exported in 1902 and 2,
000,000 worth went to the United
Kingdom, as compared with $2.1G9
worth in 1892. That demonstrates
great progress in that industry, and it
should be encouraged by removing the
duty on hides. It Is a small duty, but
hides have to be imported, and the
duty benefits no one unless It be the
big packing establishments which are
practically united in a 'trust"
The duty on hides should not bo un
conditionally removed, but this coun
try should seek reciprocity troatiea
with the South American countries ex
porting thorn, thus obtaining concos
along in exchango.-Dc8 Moines Reg
ister and Leader.
To Examine Ocean Currents.
Newfoundland has long borno tho
growsomo namo of "Tho Atlantic
Graveyard," from tho fact that her
shores are lined with tho blenching
bones of ocean bcsscls which havo
found there a final resting place. Now
the Canadian government proposes to
take stops to rob this spot of its ter
rors. An attempt will bo made this
summer to cxamino tho currents in
that part of tho Atlantic ocean wash
ing tho south shore of Newfoundland
between Capo Race and tho French isl
ands, to ascertain tho character and
extent of the Indraft which in reported
to set into tho larger bays in that
vicinity.
Tho marine underwriters aro partic
ularly interested In this undertaking,
because in recent years millions of dol
lars havo been sacrificed in shipwrecks
occasioned by lack of information re
garding the trend of these treacherous
curronts. They have never been
tested properly, nor do any of the pub
lished guides to mariners givo any In
formation of tho Influcnco or set
Within tho last 30 years hundreds of
ships havo been wrecked and countless
lives havo been sacrificed, duo prin
cipally to tho treacherous currents.
To carry out the examination of this
locality tho Dominion government
steamship Gulnaro will bo anchored
m deep water on the steamship route
ori different points along the New
foundland coast Tho government has
mado the request that the masters of
nil transatlantic liners give the Gul
naro a safe borth in passing, as sho
will be unablo to maneuver, and may
at times bo stationed nomo miles off
tho coast, about in tho path of tho
llncrs.--St Louis Post-Dispatch.
A Word With Djrbin.
If Governor Durbin of Indiana will
accept a little advico from the south
ho will permit tho courts to pass at
once on tho case of that negro mur
derer who caused all tho rioting and
bloodshed at Evansvillc. But Durbin
doesn't want advico; the papors all
over tho country advised him what to
do In tho case of Taylor, tho Kentucky
murderer, and ho Is still protecting
him. Houston Post
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Ds. MnJM MxdioaIi Co.. Elkhart, In.
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