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DECEMBER 3, 1909
The Commoner.
Getting Down Rapidly A 1 90 1 Reminder
An editorial printed in Tho Commnnor rn.
cember 27, 1901, and entitled "Getting Down
Rapidly," will bo of general interest just now.
Attention to this editorial is directed by Frank
B. Starr of Dehesa, Cal., who asks for its re
production. Tho editorial follows:
"Tho New York World, in its issue of Novem
ber 27, printed under a Washington date a state
ment which its correspondent attributes to a
member of Mr. Roosevolt's cabinet. This cabi
net member is reported to have said that "all
the leading high protectionists of tho country
have seen the president's messago and all aro
satisfied with it. Undoubtedly it will strike
many readers as a strong reciprocity niessage,
but wo understand that if it is subjected to
analysis it will bo found that the languago will
bo susceptible to an interpretation that will give
cheer to every protectionist in tho country, who
has been fearful that something would bo dono
about reciprocity In tho coming congress.'
"It must be admitted by those who have now
read the president's message that this cabinet
member's statement was an accurate one. Al
though republican papers very generally com
mended Mr. McKinley's last speech at Buffalo,
wherein he upheld reciprocity, not as merely
the 'handmaiden of protection,' but as an essen
tial departure from tho protective theory, tho
Practical Tariff Talks
Cotton stockings are articles of universal
wear. The new tariff law lays a heavier tax
upon the cheaper grades, and in changing the
schedules at the request of the manufacturers
the cheaper stockings were increased' while no
additional tariff was laid upon those which tho
wealthier use. There are six grades of hosiery
under the law. All valued at not more than
$1 a dozen pay a -tax of 84 cents a doaon, re
ducing the combination of ad valorem and spe
cific duties to" specific. On this grade the in
crease Is from 67.11 per cent to 88 per cent.
Stockings valued at from $1 to $1.50 per dozen
are taxed $1.03 per dozen. On this grade the
increase is from 58.32 per cent to 76.37 per
cent. Stockings valued at from $1.50 to $2 a
dozen pay a tax of $1.08 per dozen. On this
grade the increase is from 51.41 to 61.81 per
cent. On the other three grades, from $2 to $3
per dozen, from $3 to $5, and above $5, no in
creases were made, although asked fof by tho
manufacturers. The increases as given were
precisely those asked for by the manufacturers.
It will be noted that the costlier the stocking
the smaller the per cent of duty, the last three
grades, it may bo added, being taxed from 55
per cent for the highest priced to 64 per cent
for the lower priced.
These amendments to the schedule were in
tended to increase the tariff on full-fashioned
hosiery. Full-fashioned means the seamed
stockings. Eighty-five per cent of the cotton
hose manufactured in America is known as
the seamless, having but the one seam across
the toe, and the"old tariff was sufficient to bar
out any foreign importations. Having secured
an absolute monopoly of this branch of tho
manufacture, it is aimed now to reach out after
the other for the benefit of the few who make
that kind. The entire wool, worsted and cash
mere industry, the entire fleeced hosiery and silk
hosiery industries have been for years in the
hands of the American manufacturers, by virtue
of the high duties exacted. The only article
upon which there was competition for the last
twelve years was the full-fashioned hose in cot
ton and lisle. On the cheaper grades of these,
the increase Is sufficient to confine the Industry
very largely to this country. Incidentally, it
means that there will be a substantial advance
in cotton hosiery prices to the consumer and
the disappearance of the 25 cent stocking from
the stores.
At the hearing before tho house committee
having the tariff bill in charge, tho National
Wholesale Dry Goods Association insisted that
the proposed schedule would put the full-fashioned
hose industry in America In a trust, be
cause at least 80 per cent of the business, which
has been a profitable one, Is now controlled by
one family of manufacturers, who are repre
sented by the same sales agents. The associa'-
samo papers did not hesitato to enthusiastically
commend Mr .Roosevelt's message, in which, as
accurately anticipated by this cabinet member,
tho supporters of reciprocity obtained no en
couragement. "This samo cabinet member Is quoted by tho
World as indulging In somo very blunt state
ments regarding Mr. McKinley's Buffalo speech.
Thte is what this cabinet member said:
" 'We can not got down from President Mc
Kinley's position too rapidly. That would bo
unkind to his memory and impolitic. But wo
can get down, and wo will, and by tho ond of
tho Fifty-seventh congress wo will bo just whero
wo started, with no reciprocity of any conae
quenco and with all of our protection."
"Thero you havo it, blunt and plain. Although
Mr. McKinley's last speech was said to outllno
the futuro policy of tho republican party, hero
wo havo a cabinet officer making tho frank and
candid statement that in tho repudiation of Mr.
McKinley's position, in deference to his memory,
republican leaders wilL go slow; and yet that
position will bo repudiated,.and in spite of all
the commendatory utterances of tho republican
press concerning tho Buffalo speech, 'by tho end
of tho Fifty-seventh congress, wo will bo just
whero wo started, with no reciprocity of any
consequence and with all our protection.' "
tion representative told the committee that to
adopt tho schedule proposed would cut down
tho importation 80 per cent and that this meant
a reduction in revenue of over $3,000,000 a
year. By granting the request of tho manu
facturers, therefore, congress sacrificed revenuo
and presented tho manufacturers with tho op
portunity to absorb this and then some moro
by making it possible for them to advanco prices
to tho consumers.
Tho stocking industry employs well-paid work
ers, tho average weekly waces ninnJnar fmm
$JLfin fnr.momou co ?30 for men. Most of theso
operatives come from England and Germany,
and a peculiar thing about it Is that whenever
tho American manufacturer Increases wages
hero his foreign competitors must increaso the
wages there in order to retain them, the supply
of operatives being limited in both countries.
This maintains tho wage balance between tho
countries. That the tariff granted Is excesslvo
Is shown by the costs tables submitted to con
gress by the manufacturers themselves. The
tariff, according to the republican model, repre
sents tho difference in wages hero and abroad.
These costs tables show that the total wage cost
per dozen in making hosiery in American mills
ranges from 79 cents to $1.04 a dozen. The
tariff, supposed to represent only tho difference,
runs from 84 cents to $1.08 per dozen in
short, the whole cost at homo.
C. Q. D.
CARNEGIE FUND A MENACE
(From tho address delivered at the fourteenth
annual meeting of the National Association of
State Universities in Boston, by Jacob Gould
Schurman, president of the association.)
Benefactors die; universities abide. At least,
that has been the case in tho past. But In this
age of organization, benefactors have learned
to perpetuate themselves as corporations. And
wo now havo Institutions chartered by acts of
congress to disburso for educational purposes
the charities of millionaires. Tho rich philan
thropist who objectifies himself in such a benev
olent corporation of course names tho trustees,
and subsequent vacancies in tho board aro filled
by co-optation. This is a new species c
corporation, but the two or three already
organized hold large funds, which aro likely to
be greatly augmented in tho future. And thero
Is no limit to tho number of such corporations
except tho limit to tho number of persons who
possess wealth and desire to distribute it in this
fashion.
I can not but think that these corporations
create anow and dangerous situation for tho
independent and privately endowed universities.
Just in proportion as theso are supported by
those benevolent corporations is their center of
gravity thrown outside themselves. It is no
longer a case of a rich man giving his money,
going his way (eventually dying), and leaving
tho university free to manage its own affairs.
The purse strings aro now controlled by an fra
mortal power, which makes it its business to
investigate and supervlso and which lays down
conditions that tho university must accept If it
is to rocelvo grant of monoy. An Irresponsible,
Helf-porpetuating board, whoso business Is to
Ulsponso monoy, necessarily tends to look at
every question from tho pecuniary point of viow;
it wants its monoy'B worth; it domandu imme
diate and tanglblo results. Will not its largo
powors and enormous influonco in relation to
tho institutions dopondont upon it tend to do
volop in it an attitude of patronago and a luvblt
of meddling?
Tho very ambition of such a corporation to
roform educational abuses is Itnolf a 'source 'of.
danger. Men aro not constituted educational
reformers by having millions to spend. And.
indeod, an irresponsible, solf-perpotrating board
of this sort may becomo a real menace to tho
best interests of tho higher education. In tho
fancied interests of capital, or roliglon, or of
education itself It may galvanlzo tho Intellectual
mo of tho institution It undertakes to foster.
A board of this kind should bo nnsworablo to tho
public, llko tho rogonts of a stato university.
Or, bettor still, lot tho millionaire trust tho
boards of trustees 'of colleges and universities
and glvo them outright tho capital ho intondo
to dovoto to educational purposes. I holiovo
that in all cases this plan would bo best for
educators and best for tho public intorcst.
I mako no excoption of tho Carneglo founda
tion for tho advancement of teaching, to which
Mr. Carneglo has givon such largo endowmont
for tho pensioning of professors in tho colleges,
technical schools and universities of tho United
States and Canada. And I certainly speak with
no prejudice, as I regard that ondowmont no tho
best thing any benefactor has over dono for
higher education In America, and I havo myself
the honor of being ono of tho trusteos. But I
look with concern and anxloty on tho Influonco
of such corporations on tho frco and independent
llfo of our institutions of learning and research.
LLOYD GEORGE A LEADER
Springfield, 111., Stato Rogistor: Call it what
8?.m wl11, B?c!al,8m" anarchy or what not, tho
sown in England, and Lloyd Georgo is loador in
tho sowing. Ho has conceived and taken hold
of Jn monarchical, rogal, Great Britain, a vital,
fundamental principle, which yot lacks such liold'
and fearless application In tho national affair
of "tho land of tho free and tho homo of tho
brave." Tho land question is sending Its bril
liant, fundamental principles of justico blazing
into tho dark recesses of oppression, rich idle
ness and landlordism in a manner which points
to wonderful reforms in tho not far distant
futuro.
Chicago -Tribune: If ono man owned all of
downtown Chicago and if three men owned Now
York south of Forty-second street, and if theso
holdings and others like them wero subject to a
tax which had not beeen revised slnco Crom
well's time, which was a tax merely in namo,
and which operated to mako land ownership a
weight bearing down on tho prosperity and de
velopment of tho country, Americans would not
wasto time- listening to an opposition which
called tho proposed remedy socialistic. If 90
per cent of tho land In America wero owned by
less than 10,000 persons something moro than
tho land tax provisions of tho Lloyd Georgo
budget would bo used to restore ownership to
tho people.
Springfield, Mass., Republican: Tho most
Interesting aspect of Mr. Lloyd Ceorgo'8
development is that tho radical democracy
of England has evidently found a formid
able leader, and that, however tho coming elec
tions may go, whatever even may be tho fate of
the budget and free trade Mr. Lloyd George will
remain to bo reckoned with for tho next twenty
years as a radical force capable in time of ser
iously modifying tho economic and social basis
of English llfo.
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BUT TnE SPIRIT LIVETH
"Andrew Jackson was a great man,"
says Senator Aldrlch, "but ho is dead."
Tho senator from Rhode Island is mis
taken. Andrew Jackson is not dead; but
tho United States bank is dead.
When Senator Aldrlch introduces his
bill for the creation of a central bank
of issue ho will find that Old Hickory is
still on guard and will have to bo reck
oned with. Now Yorfc World.
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