The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-20
UNDERWOOD SAYS | HIGH TARIFF TALK
 PURELY POLITICAL Striking Interview Is Pub lished in April Number of
 American Magazine BILL IS DESIGNED
 TO YIELD REVENUE When Law Went Into Effect Flood of Foreign Goods Predicted by Re-
 publicans Failed to Arrive.
 Will Boost Wages

In the American Magazine for April, Fred c. Kelly has an interesting featured interview with Senator Underwood on the tariff in which MT. Underwood says:
 "The talk of our needing higher tariff to meet after war conditions has no merit beyond being political argument" and gives his reasons. MT Kelly writes:
 In the history of our political present. Oscar w. Underwood should be known as Oscar the Calm, Oscar the Great Unruf-S fled, or something like that All through the days of his leadership of the demo- cratic majority in the House of Repre- sentatives--before he became junior sem ator from Alabama-Underwood never once threw off his calm, impassive de- meanor. No one ever saw him lose his temper. Not once without the utmost po- liteness did he reply to another member in public or in private. The men who have ever heard Oscar Underwood swear or use even a by-word are so few that they regard it as a rare distinction, and boast about it.
 In the debates which preceded the enact ment of the Underwood tariff bill, the Alabaman's utterances on the floor or the House were notably free from person.
 
 sue. Not once did he utter phrase de- signed merely to exhibit his own knowl- edge, or for other purposes of self-aggran- dizement
 Today when he hears his tariff bill at tackled and reviled, Underwood continues calm. He does not grow excited or fearftR when he hears men prophecy that after the war there will be need of higher tariff duties to meet exceptional conditions of competition. If all big business men who are nervous or apprehensive about the state of affairs after the war could meet Oscar Underwood face to face, they might feel lot better.
 ''The talk of our needing higher tariff to meet after-war conditions has no merit beyond being a political argument" de- clares Senator Underwood with smiling calmness
 WILL BOOST WAGES
 'Instead of lower wages in Europe it is possible that in many lines of industry wages will be higher. Obviously fewer men will return to their jobs than left the jobs to go to war. This will tend to boost wages, and with wages higher there will be less difference than hereto fore in the labor cost of production here and abroad.
 Moreover. there will not be the facili- ties for manufacturing the goods for ex- port that there were before the war. In Belgium, for example. many factories are entirely destroyed. The organization is destroyed also
 ''In all the belligerent countries the great work of restoring things to nor nal conditions will doubtless require their chief attention and energy for a long time. The bulk of their manufactures will be required for their own use. sup plemented by much that they must obtain from us. The balance of trade will be in our favor.
 With regard to English commerce, the end of the war will work to our advan- tage. English commerce has not been in- terrupted with us. but it has been inter rupted with other countries. In other words, England has been compelled to send almost her entire output to us. and price it to compete with goods made in this country. After the war England will send smaller ratio of her output to us and more elsewhere, with the obvious result of diminishing rather than increas- ing our competition against possible low wages in that quarter.
 'The republican point of view on tariff necessities after the war comprises a (Continued on Page ElgAt)