THE DUTY ON COTTON GOODS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12477, 12 April 1906, Page 8

THE DUTY ON COTTON GOODS.

ANOMALIES STILL REMAIN,

Calling on the manager of a wellknown soft goods house, our reporter found that gentleman not altogether satisfied, chiefly because the remissions, in hie opinion, did not go far enough. "I think," he said, "they might have made cotton free altogether, because they are always harping on the fact that cottons are chiefly used by the working classes,'and why not let them have the benefit of a complete remission." To bear out this, our representative was shown two samples of flannelette of precisely tKe came quality, one of which will be free under the revised duties and the other will continue to pay a duty of 10 per cent. The only difference was one of pattern, and the idea seems to be that if the material is used solely for the homely purpose of a working man's shirt it shall not be taxed, but if it is such that hie daughter may be tempted to work it up into a fancy blouee, then it comes into another class, and has to be taxed. "There can bo no doubt," continued the gentleman interviewed, "that the workers will be relieved by the removal of tho impost on forfars, dowlas, and linens, and the working classes use a great deal more linen than you would suppose, and certainly much more than they did years ago, when many of them ate their dinner on a bare table. But it would be far better if there is to bo a duty on these things at all, that there •should be a uniform duty on cottons and a uniform duty on woollens. I think, as I eaid before, cottons should be pit on the free list."

Here our informant went on to suggest that tho duties thus removed might bo transferred to the land, if necessary, but, he added with a smile, "I guess the farmers would have something to cay to that."