The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-24

at the same tl11e allO"llS lOT, necessary
and proper readjustment of duties in par
ticuar schedules as such readjuStment be-
comes a matter of pressing Importance,
is not an easy one. '...~ s--.-
What we really need in this country
is to treat the tariff as business PROPOSE
ton and not from the standpoint of the
temporary needs of any. political party.
1T surely ought not to be necessary to
dwell upon the extreme unwisdom, from a
business standpoint. from the standpoint
Of national prosperity, of violent and
radical changes amounting to the direct
upsetting of tariff policies at intervals of
| every few years.
"A ma ton like ours can adjust its bust
ness after a fashion to any kind of a tariff.
But neither our nation nor any other can
stand the ruinous policy Of readjusting its
business to radical changes in the tariff at
short intervals.
This is more true now than ever 1t
was before. for owing to the immense ex-
tent and variety of our products, the tariff
schedules of to-day carry rates Of duty on
more than 1000 articles. Continual
sweeping changes in such a tariff touch
ing so intimately the commercial interests
of the nation, which stands as one Of the
two or three greatest in the whole in
dustrial world cannot but be disastrous.
| Yet, on the other hand, where the indus
| trial needs of the nation shift as rapidly
as they do with us, it is matter OF prime
| importance that we should be able to re-
adjust our economic policy, as rapidly as
| possible and with as little friction as
| possible to those needs.
| "You need a scheme which will enable
us to provide a reapplication Of the prin-
ciple to the changed conditions. The PROB
| lem therefore, is to devise some plan by
which these shifting needs can be recog-
| nized and the necessary REIMBURSEMENT OF
| duties provided without forcing the entire
| business community, and therefore the
| entire nation to submit to a violent sur
| gical OPERATION the mere threat OF which,
| and still more, the, accomplishment OF
which, would probably paralyze for con-
| siderable time all the industries CT the
| country.
"Such radical action might very readily
reproduce the conditions from which we
| suffered nine years ago, In 1893.
1T is on every account most earnestly
| to be hoped that this problem can be
solved in some manner into which partl-
| zanship shall enter as a purely secondary
consideration, if at all; that is In some
manner which shall provide for an earnest
| effort by ncn-partiZan inquiry and acton
to secure any changes, the need of which
| is indicated by the effect found to pro-
coed from given rate Of duty on a given
| article; it's effect, if any, as regards the
creation of a substantial monopoly, its
effect upon domestic prices, upon the rev.
| enue of the government, upon fmporta-
! tons from abroad. upon home production.
| and upon consumption. This would Sc
cure the needed stability Of economic pol
| icy which is prime factor in our indus
trial success, while doing away with any
! tendency to fossiliZation. 1t would rec
| Ognize the fact that as our needs SHIFT II
may be found advisable to alter rates and
| schedules adapting them to the changed
| conditions and necessities Of the whole
| people; and this would be in nOWlse in
compatible with preserving the principle
| of protection, but belief in the wisdom OF
| a protective tariff is in no way incOn-
sistent with frankly admitting the desir-
ability Of changing a set OF schedules
| when from any cause such change is lr
! the interests of the nation as a whole
and our tariff policy is designed to favor
the interests Of the nation as whole, and
not those of any particular set of indi-
| viduals, save as an incident to theil
building up of national we'll being. There
are two or three different methods by
which it will be possible to provide such
read justmcnt without any shock to the
business world.
MY personal preference would be fol
action which should be taken only aftel
preliminary inquiry by. and upon the
findings Of, a body of experts Of sucl
high character and ability that they
could be trusted to deal with the subjec
purely from the standpoint of our bust
ness and industrial needs; but of course
congress would have to determine for it
self the exact method to be followed.
''The one consideration which mus
never be omitted in a tariff change is thu
imperative need Of preserving the Amer
lean standard of living for the American
Workingman
THE tariff rate must never fall below
that which will protect the American
workingman by allowing for the differ
ence between the general labor cost her
and abroad, so as to at least eQualiZe tn
conditions arising from the difference il
the standards Of labor here and abroad
a difference which it should be our ain
to foster in so far as it represents tn
needs of better educated, better paid
better fed and better clothed working
men of a higher class than any to b
found in a foreign country At all haZ
ards and no matter what else is souSh
: for or accomplished by changes of tn
y tariff, the American worlSingman must b
I protected in his standard of wages, tina
is, in his standard of living, and must b
: secured fullest. opportunity Of employ
: ment.
Our laws should in event affor
? advantage to foreign industries owe
American industries. They should in n
event do less than equalize the differenc
| in the conditions at home and abroad
The general tariff policy to which, with
out regard to changes in detail believ
this country to be irrevocably commit
! | ted is fundamentally based upon ampl
recognition Of the difference of labc
: cost here and abroad