Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-08-17
TALKING ON TARIFF
National Reciprocity Confer.
 ence Opens In Chicago.
FARMERS DEMAND ASSISTANCE
Leading Speakers Advocate Maxi. mum and Minim um Schedules as Means of Forcing Conces.
 sions From Europe.

|
 reciprocity conference began two l days session at the Illinois theater, 6Ot delegates from all parts of the country !, having assembled 10 discuss reciproca i trade relations with other countries i amendment of the Dngley tariff law
 alterations of the interstate commerce ! laws and kindred matters The confer ! ence was called to order by A. D. San
 ders of Chicago.
 ] On the opening of the afternoon ses
 sion permanent officers for the confer ! ence were chosen, as follows: ], Chairman S. B. Packard, Iowa: first vice chairman, William c. Maybury Michigan; second vice chairman. I. T. Prior, Texas: third vice chairman, An i drew G. Webster, Massachusetts: sec retary, William R. Corwine, Iowa; as. ! sistant secretary, Frederick Larrabee Iowa.
 In assuming the gavel as permanent
 chairman Mr Packard said: 'The farmers of this country have no sympathy for the tariff war as the means of forcing concessions in for eign markets. Heretofore when tariff i laws have been made the various; trusts have all been alert enough to send their Hobbies to Washington to as sist in the writing of the schedules that , interested them most. The farmer, un- organized, has not been represented. so now when he finds the outlet for his surplus in danger he demands that
 some of those high margins put into
 the Dingley schedules for trading pur-
 poses be used for the purposes in-
 tended.
 Tt seems expedient that congress
 pass new tariff law providing for maximum and minimum rates which
 may be used by the president in ex- tending our markets abroad. We can set about selecting a house. of repre- sentatives that will pass such a law, and we will have at least the advan- tage in the senate of possible major ity instead of an impossible twothirds. If our president had the power under a maximum and minimum tariff law he would do some Yankee dickering with foreign countries''
 A concise statement of the availabil- ity and the desirablity of the dual tar fir as against reciprocity was made by Senator Shelby NJ. Cullom of Illinois, who spoke in part as follows:
 "The west is almost unanimously in favor of reciprocity. the eastern sena- tors are almost solidly against it, the minority in the senate Is divided, reel, procity under the fourth section of the Dingley act has failed.
 ''I believe that the Dingley rates are sufficiently high to warrant our enter ing into reciprocal arrangements with. Central and South American countries and with European nations as well.
 "I very much prefer the adoption of the principle of reciprocity as means of retaining and extending our foreign markets: as a means of quietly, with out interruption of our business con ditions. revising where necessary the tariff as means of preventing dis criminaton against our products such as Germany and other nations now propose to make.
 But if we cannot secure the ratifi- cation of reciprocity treaties there is one other method that was seriously considered by the committee on for eign relations more than two years ago when it became apparent that the reel procity treaties would not he ratified. and that is the adoption of maximum and minimum tariff. By that I mean the adoption of an arrangement. by act of congress. somewhat similar to that in force in France. Have a mini mum tariff applicable to all nations which give our products the most fa- vored nation treatment and maxi mum tariff, say 2J per cent higher, to apply 10 nations which discriminate against our products.
 ''The adoption of this principle would not accomplish for our foreign trade all that reciprocity would accomplish. IL would not open any very extensive new markets for our products. but it would prevent discrimination A max imum and minimum tariff is more in the way of retaliation. but something must he done. and if we cannot secure reciprocity I shall favor the enactment of law by congress providing a max imum tariff to he applicable to every nation that discriminates against our products.
 There are two remedies. reciprocity or maximum and minimum tariff. and as it appears now the latter. if either. is the method that will he adopted"
 Chairman Packard announced the committee on resolutions. including F.. x. Toss of Massachusetts. chairman: Edward n. Page. New York: A. R. Farquhar. Pennsylvania. and Thomas F. Egan. Ohio.
 Eugene \. Foss of Boston then ad- dressed the conference Al the close Of NIT. Foss' address Michael Ryan of Ohio spoke for five minutes in favor of a reciprocity arrangement between this country and Europe
 The meeting then adjourned for the 4 day.