Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1916-02-10
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
SAYS IMPORTS INCREASING
Imports Greater Now Than in the
Period Immediately Preceding
the War.

Correspondence American Economist.
Imports are constantly increasing.
The argument Of the Free Traders
that the European war has been just
as good as a Protective Tariff is shat
tered by the announcement of the
Department of Commerce that Novem-
Der, 1915, imports were valued at
64,319,169, as against $l26,467 ,062
in November, 1914, and that they ex-
coed by Sl1 900 900 the former Novem-
Der record, made in 1912. In other
words, despite the European war,
more imports are coming in now
Sll 100000 more in one month-than
under the Protective Tariff in times
Of peace.
Compared with the imports of the
year 1914, during a large part Of
which time peace prevailed, the twelve
nonths5 imports to November 30, 1915
aggregated 81, 73O, 243, 229.. In the year
that was half peaceful and half war
ridden, with Free-Trade in full swing,
the imports amounted to 81 1858, 3d.
OF.
Free-Trade is getting into full
swing again, and American industry
soon will be feeling the hardships that
followed the enactment of the Under
wood law, and when the European
war was not acting as a form of Pro-
lection. While most months show the
entry of 20 per cent of all imports
free of duty, the November imports
show 6S.3 per cent. of all goods enter
ing free.
Mr.. Wilson said that the present
Tariff law was TO be a competitive
Tariff. But it is really one-sided
affair, since foreigners have all the
advantages and are involved in a low
wage scale and low cost of production.
child labor and long working hours
Senator Newlands, Of Nevada. has
said that he was in favor of a Tariff
commission, because such a commits
sion could take the present Tariff law
and make further reductions from
time to time. This was his idea Of a
"non-partisan" Tariff commission.
Even the Chamber of Commerce Of the
United States. In its arguments for
Tariff commission, states that all
such commission would be expected
TO- DO would be to ascertain "the facts
In other words. the commission would
gather statistics showing the cost of
production, etc. end would leave IL to
Congress TO determine what policy
should be applied This would mean
that there would be no Improvement
over the present situation. Congress
already has ample facilities for OBJ
tanning the facts. The Ways and
Means Committee is composed Of men
who are supposed TO have more than
ordinary intelligence, and they are
provided with every facility for exam
ming manufacturers and importers
and weighing evidence. Their facil
tiles are greater even than those a
Tariff commission would have. And
IN the final analysis the Ways and
Means Committee would still apply
the policy-and the policy is the real
question at issue.
IL Is no longer a matter of facts
Not even a Free-Trader will contend
that wages and working conditions in
Europe are comparable to those pre-
vailing in the United States. 1t is
admitted that there is a vast Unequal
ity. 1t has been to offset this in
equality that the people of the United
States, whenever the issue was
squarely presented to them, have voted
overwhelmingly for a Protective
Tariff.
The business people of the country,
as well as the workingmen, are al
ready beginning to realize that it is
the present Tariff law which is bring
ing about the sorts of suggestions for
new taxation. The present deficit in
the Treasury was caused in large mea-
sure by the existing Tariff law. To
make up for the amount Of money
that is being lost through the failure !
of revenues from customs, all sorts
of suggestions for new taxation have |
been made, and the latest, coming
from Senator Owen, Of Oklahoma,
chairman of the Senate Banking and |
Currency Committee, is that there be |
q heavy Federal tax on inheritances. |
In other words, the Free Traders are !
getting ready to tax the dead as well
rs the living. h ft
- t.ut THOMAS L. LOGAN.