Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 April 1910 — TARIFF TRICKERY. [ARTICLE]

TARIFF TRICKERY.

Consumer Hoodwinked by Classification Juggling. He is a wise consumer that knows how much he is taxed, by the tariff. It was not the Intention of those who framed it that he should know. The tricks of classification are calculated to baffle all but trained experts. The Journal of Commerce recently called attention to what it calls a “Typical Tariff Juggle” perpetrated by these gentlemen: “Little attention was paid by the public to the enormous increase in the duty on silks and cotton mixed goods dyed in the piece, made at the last moment in the new tariff by the conference committee. Goods which were paying 60 cents per pound under the Dingley tariff were advanced to 70 cents in the senate bill, but by quietly changing the figures in conference, ‘Goods weighing from two to eight ounces per square yard,’ to ‘Goods weighing from one-half to eight ounces per square yard,’ the greater proportion of this class ,of goods was thrown into the schedule, paying 85 cents per poundHnstead of from 60 to 70 cents as the senate intended, thus making an Increase of above 40 per cent, over the -Dingley tariff and absolutely -prohibiting importation on the lower grades.”