New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-05-06

y L
The Senate's plan for maximum minimum
tariff is undoubtedly an improvement IN various
respects on the plan approved by the House OF
REPRESENTATIVES. We have already called at
teutiOn 10 some of the advantages OF the
Finance Committees redraft, The House bill,
for instance allows only sixty days of grace
after the massage of the new law IN which 70
decide whether or not any foreign country Is
discriminating against American products.
After sixty days the maximum rates are 10 go
into effect automatically against countries when
fail 10 give the United States most favored
nation treatment. 1t is apparent that the tine
allowed for Investigation and negotiation under
the House plan is insufficient There ought 10
be freer opportunity to scrutinize alleged dis
examinations and TO remove them by friendly
argument The Senate provision IS faireI ana
more practicable in that 1t allows at least nine
months for rearranging our trade relations with
foreign countries, keeping the minimum rates
in force on all importations until March 81, 1910
The Senate bill is better. too, in that it vests
the President with discretionary power. allow
ing him 10 decide, after weighing all the evil
dence. whether a discrimination which may
exist is material enough to warrant retaliation.
This explicit grant Of authority will make 1t
easy to avoid conflicts over rrifes costing much
and yielding no appreca bic benefit The Sen
ate's provision for what amounts to permanent
tariff commission is also OF the greatest impor-
lance. since it IS j positive step toward more
intelligent tariff legislation and a rational deTel-
opment Of the protective system We hope 70
see all these good features of the Senate's Dill
preserved in the maximum minimum section Of
the tariff bill when il comes out Of the confer
ence committee. There are two points, however.
on which the House draft seems 70 be souuder
than the Senates in theory as we'll as in pTac-
tice. We think that it would be better 10 follow
the Houses method Of retaining the minimum
rates in force as the normal rates. and requiring
a proclamation IN each individual case TO sus-
pend the minimum and apply the maximum.
Under the Senate plan the maximum rates are
TO become the normal extraordinarily. atleast-
after March 81, 1910 and the minimum are 10 be
continued or restored only by virtue Of procla-
nations covering individual cases. Thus the
benefit Of the doubt is thrown in favor Of the
maximum and against the minimum rates, when
II should be thrown in favor Of the minimum
and against the maximum. II the President Is
unable 10 make out clear enough case to war
rant g proclamation. or the inquiry IS difncult
and complicated and must be pursued further
after March 81. 1910. the country involved
should continue TO enjoy the minimum rates
until the questions in dispute are definitely
settled
The Senates plan also unwisely omits the
proviso Of the House bill that tariff concessions
given by the mother country 10 a dependency,
By dependency 70 the mother country and by
one dependency TO another shall not be con
strued as determinations against the commerce
of the United States. This country would not
be warranted in saying that the concessions
allowed by Canada to British imports are an
improper discrimination against American ex-
ports 70 Canada. The political bond between
Canada and Great Britain justifies special COM
u7arriaI relations Those relations are family
relations and we cannot properly interfere with
the domestic concerns Of other nations The
United States is itself committed to the principle
that such family transactions do not constitute
violation Of most favored nation privileges
We have even held that our reciprocity treaty
with Cuba is exempt from criticism the part
Of nations with which we stand on the most
favored nation basis, because Cuba is attached
in q political sense 70 the American system. It
should be definitely announced that we have no
intention of treating commercial relations such
as exist between Canada and Great Britain
between Canada and Australia as discrimna
tons making retaliation necessary.