Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 October 1908 — ABOUT POTTERY. [ARTICLE]

ABOUT POTTERY.

Mr. Taft’s “For instance” Has an Ominous Look. Mr. Taft has at last made one specification bn the tariff. To his statement that some schedules must be revised up, some down, he now adds that “pottery” should be revised up. If he knows any duty that should be scaled down to give the people relief from monopoly prices he has not mentioned it. Pottery is to go up, though plain wfre now bears a duty of 55 per cent and decorated ware 60 per cent, and Imports of both arte discouraged by freight charges of perhaps 10 per cent. The New York Times, supporting Taft under protest, shows that as the tariff duty “is imposed on packings and no allowance is made on broken wares” the “protection” enjoyed by pottery, including costs of Importation, Is from 75 to 100 per cent before the wares reach the consumer; further, that the pottery industry “is firmly established, widespread, varied In products, highly developed, in machinery and methods and perfectly capable of bolding the home market against all comers Without protection.” The Times remarks that Mark Hanna tried to work this same increase of pottery duties into the Dingtey bill, but failed to “deceive even the senators who were eager to be deceived if It could be done plausibly.” No wonder the Times asks why Mr. Taft cannot let the tariff alone.