The Washington times., 1915-10-04
GEORGE W.PERK|NS
URGES TARIFF BOARD
Sends Open Letter to Secretary
RedfieId, Assai|lng consular
: Cure"

NEW YORK, Oct. l-George w. Per-
kins. chairman of the National Pro-
eressive Party. urges a permanent non
partisan tariff commission as means
to keep the United States from @ ,nsspinr pesp
European-made goods after the war y
ever. in an open letter to secretary OF
Commerce Redfeld. just made PUBIC.
The letter follows:
October Ind. 1918.
Hon. william c. Redheld.
Washington, d. G.
"Dear sir-In the statement by you
which appeared In the newspapers o.
september %. commenting on the ntrv mRt,
a. a dumping ground for nAnufacturesd
goods when the war Y 49,. you ea,e. s,s.
eestions from practical commercial men
as, to the most enie,ent ~ menns Mnss,r 81 COM
petition. / am. therefore. writing YOU
this letter to Givc you my views.
I'm another statement on this suolecs
you say that. while you are In Iavot o,
Il Undoubtedly needs when this war 10
over, you have a frank preference for
such methods as have nothing 70 90
with tariffs or duties You also say
that one method you are considering is
that of using American consular agents
at different shipping points in Eirope
by instructing them not to allow any
goods to be shipped from Europe that
low price as to AFFECT our manufacturers
unfavorably, and that " foreign conn-
tries attempt to ship goods into this
country at a greatly reduced price OUT
consular agents could demand tne IlHns
to Investigate the means Of producing
the commodity. to see II the manutac-
turer were selling at a lower price than
he should. II the right to make such an
investigation by the agents were refused
the American consuls could refrain
from signing the manifests. and the
products could never leave the port for
the United States
Serious Complications.
Have you stopped to consider the
serious international complications that
would ensue II our consular agents were
given such instructions. made such de-
mands, and tried to enforce them! They
would undoubtedly be refused the m
formation and would be referred to the
Wilson tariff, under which the manu-
facturers In question were operating IN
a perfectly legitimate manner.
"The very suggestions you make snow
that you yourself have come to the con-
clusion that when this war Is over GER
tain Of our Industries in all probability
will need protection. You admit this IN
your statement. but you do not admit
the obvious fact that the Wilson tarin
fatls TO prOVlQe the necessary proteS-
tion, and It Is clear that you are trying
to find some other way to provide 1t.
How could Europe be preparing to
use us az a dumping ground II our tariff
We're not such as to permit her to DO
so?
Commission Only Answer.
why attempt to whip the devil
around the stump? Why not meet the
situation In the only sensible. practical
manner possible? There is only one
efficient, safe, and honorable way to
protect our American industries. with
equal fairness to our people and the
people of Europe. and that Is through
the establishment Of a permanent. nx-
port, nonpartisan tariff commission; Q
commission that will be In constant ses-
sion. investigating the needs Of our In
dnstrial concerns that are in competi-
ton with similar European concerns: a
commission that will give us a tariff
that Is not necessarily high nor low nor
political. but one that Is based on the
actual demonstrated needs Of each and
every industry that Is affected by the
tariff.
Very truly yours,
GEORGE W. PERKINS,
Chairman Executive Committee,
National Progressive Party"