The Grenada sentinel., 1907-02-23
PEOPLE MUST
POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY. TO Sc.
7cuRE TARIFF REFORM.
If the President Calls Extra Session
of Congress to Deal with the Mat
ter, Put Pressure on Your r.
Representatives.


Il ..#i8#
The extraordinary proposition OF
the German government, which, it is
said, will be contained in the report
of the tariff commission which has
nearly concluded it's investigations
and agreements with the German tar
if experts at Berlin, that the export
price of products, from that country
shall be fixed by the German govern
ment, will hardly be ratified by con-
gress. This ultimatum to Offset our
high tariff rates as a compensation to
Germany for acceding to us her mini
mum rates Of duty for our products is
unlocked for and unparalleled, for it
virtually nullifies section 80, which
amends sections z and II of the act
of 1890, which provides the manner
of determining the true value of goods
in the exporting country at the time Of
export. There has been constant fric-
tion between German exporters and
our customs officials on the question
of value, and it is claimed that many
invoices of German goods are purpose
ly undervalued so as to escape part
of the ad valorem rates Of duty. Hun
dreds of such cases occur every month
and the board of appraisers are con-
stantly Increasing the valuation of
goods, which thus increases the duty
paid.
Such increase In valuation is what
the German government wants to
avoid by having this country agree to
receive her products at the special val
uation the German government un-
dertakes to provide. Such an agree
ment cannot be made without con-
gressional action modifying the sec
tions of the present tariff act above
referred to. 1t will be impossible for
the present congress to amend the
law before it adjourns on March d.
for the whole question of tariff revi-
sion would naturally arise. 1t is pos
si5le under a special rule to force such
bill through the house of represen-
tatives virtually without debate, for
doubtless the subservient Republican
majority would agree to it, yet it viii.
be impossible for such a measure to
pass the senate, where there is no
such gag rule.
AS the present arrangement with
Germany to admit our products at the
minimum tariff rates expires on July
/, and it cannot be expected that an
extension of time will be granted,
especially as congress has made no
move towards tariff revision, it wOulu
seem probable that the president W
feel constrained to call an extra ses-
sion of congress Immediately upon
the expiration of the term of the pres
ent congress on March 4.
AS all the trusts and other inter
ests protected by the tariff will in the
event of a special session be represent
ed before congress by attorneys and
lobbyists, it is advisable for anyone
who feels the pinch of high trust
prices to inform their representatives
and senators that they. will expect re-
relief by a reasonable reduction of the
rates of duty on trust products. Even
those representatives and senators re-
fsVl6u W DC COuLlO ny +tllC II uSIo
and corporations are not entirely OBJ
lvious to public opinion, if it is freely
expressed. The solid Democratic
membership of both houses of con
gress of congress can be relied upon
to stand for a bill that will make
reasonable reduction in tariff rates.
AS the Sixtieth congress has Repub-
lican majority of 54 it will only require
2S Republican members to act with
the Democrats to pass a bill that will
produce real reform of the present
rates that allow tie industrial corpcr-
ations to plunder. the people by pres
ent high prices. What is to be feared
is a bogus reform bill whcich will
patch up our differences with Germany
and Canada but still leave the trusts
protected, so that there will be no re-
lief to the people from the present
high cost of living. -r>'s-'-' ~