Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-02
TAWNEY ON The TARIFF.
He Discusses the Lodge Maximum
and Minimum. Plan.


Washington, Jan. 31.-Considerable
interest in congress, and over the coun-
try generally, is being taken in the
Lodge resolution in the senate, and III
the Tawney concurrent resolution in
the house, providing for an investiga-
ton, during the coming congressional
recess, of the question of the maximum
and minimum tariff, and the desira-
bility of offering it as solution of the
intimately related problems of tariff
revision and reciprocity treaties.
For several years continuously,
strong pressure has been brought to
bear. under the leadership of the mid
die west. the Minnesota delegation In
the house figuring conspicuously In this
leadership. in an effort to secure by
direct means some modification of the
schedules of the Dingley tariff act;
and concurrently, in the senate. pres
sure equally strong, and led by men
from the same territory, has been
brought to bear in the interest Of the
pending reciprocity treaties. In each
instance the effort has been futile, and
it is now being realized by the friends
of genuine tariff revision and reciproc-
ity that the defeated forces must be
reorganized and led again to the at
tack, but at some new and more favor
able point.
The maximum and minimum pro-
position seems to be such point. It
is favored in the senate and house
by the leading republican members
from those states of the highly pro-
tected east which hitherto have stood
in the way of revision and Of reciproc-
ity, and is believed to be ground which
the middle west may occupy without
the sacrifice of any essential principle.
Representative Tawney of Minnesota,
who as d member Of the committee on
with authority on this question, was
asked to outline his views regarding
the maximum and minimum idea.
The matter of making some changes
or notifications in certain schedules
of the tariff law. is of Importance, not
only to the northwest, but to the entire
country. But the extent to which
these notifications should go, or the
items in the particular schedules that
should be modified or can be, by re
auctions of duty, without jeopardizing
American industries or injuriously af-
fecting American labor, is something
the people in no single section can
agree on.
This difference ofopinion, necessari-
ly to great degree, grows out of the re-
to a great degree, grows out of the re-
spective interests affected. 1t is for
this reason that have always thought
that any proposed revision or modifi-
cation of the existing tariff should be
preceded by thorough, intelligent and
practical investigation, in which the
facts. when ascertained would not only
govern the future action of congress,
but serve also as a basis Of public
opinion. Out Of such policy would, in
my judgment, come the conclusion that
certain sections of the country can not
be made without surrendering the
principle OF protection.
Then, too. the extension of our for
eign trade is another matter of vital
concern to the American people. 1t is
plain to anyone who is close to the sit
uation in Washington, that the extern
sion of our foreign trade by reciprocal
trade agreements that deal entirely |
with foreign competitive products in
cur home market, can not be accom- !
pi1Shed, because domestic industries /
affected are unjustly dealt with in ne
gotiations of this kind. or think they
are, and have sufficient influence to
prevent the carrying out of the plan.
Before the ratification of these agree
ments or treaties. therefore. it seems to
me, that congress should carefully in
uuire into the advantages of the more
modern tariff system known as the |
and minimum tariff.
1.-The chief merit of this system lies /
in the fact that all questions covering
The minimum rate on domestic indus
tries are determined when the law is
enacted, and IL favorable concessions
n foreign markets can therefore be Sc
cured by applying the minimum rate to
the products of such foreign country,
~ executive proclamation. no congress
,ional action will be necessary, and all,
he strife and turmoil and delay Incl
lent to the ratification OF reciprocal
rade treaties will be avoided.
Such a policy would also tend to
give permanency to our tariff system,
md enable domestic producers to know
1t all times the extent to which the
luty Of their products might be re-
luced, thereby causing them to adjust
-hajr h,,cinesS to the minimum rate