Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-04
Present Duties Not Sufficient
to Proven Dumping of Cheap
Foreign Products.
G. W. PERKINS DISCUSSES
Mr.. REDFIELD'S PROBLEM
Declares American Industries May
Re Protected Only by Non-Par-
tisan Commission.

NEW YORK, October Am open let
ter from George w. Perkins, chairman Of
the national progressive party, to Will
liam c. Redfeld. Secretary of Commerce,
bearing on the problem of how to prevent
the United States from becoming dump
ing ground for goods Of European manu-
facture when the war is over, has been
made public here.
| The text, which is self-explanatory, fol-
lows:
Dear Sir: In the statement by you
| which appeared in the newspapers of Sep
TENDER 80, commenting on the likelihood
that Europe will use this country as a
dumping ground for manufactured goods
when the war is over. you said 1 should
be very glad to receive suggestions from
practical commercial men as to the most
efficient means of detecting and preventing
this unfair competition l am therefore
writing you this letter to give you my
views.
Mr.. Redfeld's preference"
"In another statement on this subject
you say that while you are in favor OF
giving American industry the protection
1t will undoubtedly need when this war
is over, you have a frank preference for
such methods as have nothing to do with
tariffs or duties You also say that one
method you are considering is that Of
using American consular agents at diff
ferent shipping points in Europe by in
structing them not to allow any goods
to be shipped from Europe that are likely
| to be sold over here at such low price
as to affect our manufacturers unfavor-
ably. and that If foreign countries at
tempt to ship goods to this country at a
greatly reduced price our consular agents
could demand the right to investigate the
means of producing the commodity. to see
| if the manufacturer was selling at a
| lower price than he should. IL 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
Have you stopped to consider the
serious international complications that
4 would ensue If our counsular agents
were given such instructions, made
such demands. and tried to enforce
them? They would undoubtedly be re-
referred to the Wilson tariff. under
which the manufacturers in question
| were operating in perfectly legiti-
mate manner
Shows Need of Protection.
The very suggestions you make
show that you yourself have come to
the conclusion that when this war is
over certain 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 tariff fails to provide the neces-
sary protection, and 1t is clear that you
are trying to find some other way
to provide it.
How could Europe be preparing to
use US a dumping ground if our
tariff were not such as to permit. her
to do it? And what right would we
have to complain and try to investigate
her costs of manufacture and all that
sort of thing when We so recently
deliberately changed our tariff in such
a way as to invite her to compete with
our manufacturers terms more
favorable than she enjoyed before? And
when the tariff was changed the Will
son administration told our people that
it was done for their advantage and
to reduce the cost of their living.
Efficient Method Proposed.
why attempt to whip the devil
around the stump? Why not meet the