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Show SENATOR 100T DEFENDS TARIFF New York, Feb. 11. Senator Reed Smoot of . Utah defended tho Payne-Aldrlcb Payne-Aldrlcb tariff law tonight at the banquet ban-quet of the Silk association. "The tariff bill passed at the last session of congress." said Senator Smoot. "18 the best tariff measure ever enacted Into law. "In America wo live In better houses, wo sleep In better beds, w-3 eat more and better food, we wear warmer and better clothing, our children chil-dren attend better schools, we enjoy more of the comforts of life than any other people in any other country on the globe. "L take it, we are all alike interested inter-ested in the general prosperity of our nation, We are all alike desirous of ho safeguarding our industries as to Insure our prosperity. We have such a safeguard and we call it protection. "1 deny that the tariff act of 1909 U the cause of the advance in the com of living. The greatest advances huve heeu on articles on the free list or upon which duties were decreased or upon which no advance was made over the Diugley rate. It is also noticeable notice-able that the-extreme advances aro upon products of the farm, yet tho advance received by the farmer Is insignificant in-significant In comparison with tho increase in-crease paid by tho consumer." Investigation, said Senator Smoot, has shown In some instances thnt there is an Increase of from 200 to 800 per cent In the price paid by the ultimate ulti-mate consumer over the cost of manufacture manu-facture of. mauy imported and domestic do-mestic articles, "Something Is wrong," he said, "iu a system of distribution that will allow such results, Prices are advancing advanc-ing all over the world, in free trado countries as well as in protection countries. The supply has not kept up to the demand. |