The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-19

the Secretary of Commerce would find
abundant opportunity for investigation
and scrutiny in the story which lies be-
hind these astounding statistics Nobody
in this city attempts to explain this un-
precedented condition. Apparently the low
tariff thus far has had not the slightest
effect upon importations or prices except
ing in this single department of food.
Moreover, the United States is buying
food of other nations apparently because
these commodities are needed to make up
deficiencies and not because of any effect
of the new tariff law
The secretary appears to be glad to say
frankly that the growth of our exporta .
tions of manufactured commodities Is
just cause for astonishment. He adds also
that 1t Is a good cause for encourage
ment. Nobody in this city disagrees with
him in that statement. He also calls at
tention to the fact that the increase in
our expectation of manufactured COM
modities is all the more astonishing when
careful study of these statistics for
the past 10 years reyeals that this in
crease has proceeded along regular and
progressive lines.
A committee appointed by the Gecre-
tary of Commerce may be able to delve
behind these statistics so as at least to
discover the reason why, in a year when
the tariff law was changed from a fairly
high protective measure to a low tariff
and In some instances wholly removed
previous tariff charges there should
nevertheless have been a steady increa Sc
of our expectation of manufactured prod
ucts while at the same time a decrease
of expectation under both tariff laws has
taken place.
This curious condition. unexplained,
would seem to set at naught some of the
fundamental principles laid down by pr
litical economists and especially by writ
ers who on the one hand support the
protection policy or on the other hand
attack that policy With what even
movement the increase in the money
value of our expectation of manufactured
products has proceeded is demonstrated
by some of the statistics furnished by
Secretary Redheld
AS, for instance, two years ago the total
export of manufactured commodities for
four months, which the secretary uses to
Illustrate his point represents money
value of $415, coo round numbers In the
following year the money value for a like
period was $780, 0OO, coo. round numbers, and
in the year 1918 the money value for the
like period was S4S9 100000 round numbers.
In this city it is believed that careful
investigation made under the direction OF
the Secretary of Commerce and covering
the past six or seven years would DEM
onstrate beyond any doubt that the amaz
ing increase in our expectation of manu-
factured products is attributable almost
entirely to the achievements of what is
called big business
Whether these achievements more than
compensate for what many believe to be
danger lurking in large combinations
of capital is not an economic but an ethi-
cal question. The fact remains, how
ever, that the large combinations of cap
ital make possible concentration of re-
sources whereby highly efficient and
thoroughly systematized selling agencies
are organized and maintained and have
at last obtained the entire world for
their field. Some of these agencies are
organized and maintained and have at
last obtained the entire world for their
field. Some of these agencies are abund-
antly qualified to give instruction In geog
raphy in climatic conditions. in natural
resources, in the products of agriculture
and other industry, in the racial charac-
teristics in all parts of the world For
it has been found that thorough knowl-
edge of conditions of this kind Is neces-
sary If we are to enter successfully and
to capture partially. at least. the markets
of the world for American manufactured
commodities.