The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1916-04-20
IMPRACTICAL


It is reported that the Democratic
anti-dumping legislation will be along
the general lines of that eliminated
from the present tariff law by the
Democratic Senate. If this be true, it
shows that the Democrats are making
one more approach to the Republican
protective idea in their campaign 20
ward off defeat in November.
When Mr.. Underwood presented the
tariff bill whose evil memory will sur
vive its author, he declared repeatedly
that there was not a line of protection
in it, and, with the exception of many
products of the South, he vas right, as
our increased imports soon afterwards
proved. In that bill was an a~nti-dump
ing clause, providing for a duty OF 10
per cent ad valorem to be added to the
prescribed rates on imports of mer-
chandise in any case where the selling
price to the importer in the country of
origin was less than the fair market
value of those goods when sold in that
country for consumption. AS Minority
Leader Mann said: "This provision IS
expressly and avowedly a protection
measure-to protect the American a
ufacturer from the dumping of surplus
products f rom foreign lands' The
Democrats denied it, but the action Ia
ken by the Senate indicates their in
depreciation of the clause.
Representative Fordney (Rep.) offer
ed an amendment, which was rejected,
making it applicable to goods
whether dutiable or Free" saying:
can article upon the free list can be
dumped upon our market at a price be-
low its cost just the same as an article
that is on the dutiable list, and there
fore injure an industry in this coun-
try" The same idea was embodied in
the Penrose amendment in the Senate,
which applied the dumping duty to an
article although it is not otherwise
dutiable." AS Senator Penrose ex-
planned: "The chief use of the duties
in a great many cases under the pro
tective system has been to act as a
dumping barrier. With the reduction
in duties it becomes all the more i'm
portant to have some kind of a dump.
ing clause in the present BILL"
But the Democrats in the Senate
would have no such provision, because
sit was capable under an unfriendly
administration, of being used as q
means of increasing the duty upon du
table articles Is per cent, and of put
ting articles upon the free list under {
duty of Is per cent This was no rea
son at all, because an s'unfriendly ad
nsinistration" would speedily put al
end to all Democratic tariff legislation
or be put out of office. The DUMPING
Clause was stricken out in the Senate
and the House acquieseed in confer
cnce. Now the Democrats falter an
ledge, and think they win catch vote
il such legislation is adopted.
If Congress, under the iron hand 0
Wilson, now plans to enact the ant
dumping legislation which wal stricke
from the Underwood bill, it is evideu
that this is another slap at Secretar
Redefld, coming from the Presiden'
Redfeld and his assistant, DIR. Pratt
have made a countrywide campaig
through the medium of their govern
ment publicity bureau, for anti-dumI
ing legislation which did not eonten
plate the adoption Of tariff rates. The
idea seems to have been along the Lin
of that followed by Australia, while
forbids any mercantile organizatio
dumped" goods, based on unfs
competition While that may wOr