The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1919-05-30

years TO come. so lar 1TOlu t1tFS Uer-
ing any danger or need OF accentuated
foreign competition, it is likely that
/ the conditions of the next few years
will greatly facilitate the marketing OF
American manufactures abroad. Least
of all should we depart from the policy
adopted in the tariff act of 1913, of
permitting the free entry into the
United States of the raw materials
needed to supplement and enrich our
own abundant supplies. M
Tariff Needs Attention.
Nevertheless there are parts of our
tariff system which need prompt at
;tention. The experiences of the war
have made it plain that in some cases
too great reliance on foreign supply
is dangerous, and that in determining
certain parts of our tariff policy do
nestle considerations must be borne
in mind which are political as well as
economic. Among the industries to
which special consideration should be
given is. that Of the manufacture of
dyestuffs and related chemicals.
Our complete dependence upon Ger
man supplies before the wa. made the
interruption of trade cause of ex-
ceptional economic disturbance. The
close relation between the manufac-
turer of dyestuffs, on the one hand,
and of explosives and poisonous
gases, on the other, moreover, has
given the industry an exceptional sig
nificance and value. Although the
United States will gladly and unhesi-
tatingly join in the program Of inter-
national. disarmament, it will, never
theless, be policy of obvious pru-
dence to make certain of the success
full maintenance of many strong and
well equipped chemical plants. The
German chemical industry, with which
we will be brought into competition,
was and may well be again thorough
ly knit monopoly capable of exercis-
ing competition of peculiarly and
insidious and dangerous kind.
The United States should, more
over, have the means of properly pro-
tecting itself whenever our trade is
Disseminated against by foreign ma
lions in order that we may be assured
of that equality of treatment which
we hope to accord and to promote the
world over. Our tariff laws as they
now stand provide no weapon of re-
taliation in case other governments
should enact legislation unequal in it's
bearing on our products as compared
with the products of other countries
Though we are as far as possible from
desiring to enter upon any course of
retaliation, we must frankly face the
fact that hostile legislation by other
nations is not beyond the.range of
possibility and that it may have to
be met by counter legislation. This
subject has, fortunately, been ex-
haustively investigated by the United
States tariff commission. A recent
report of that commission has shown
very clearly that we lack and that we
ought to have the instruments neces-
sary for the assurance of equal and
equitable treatment. The attention of
the Congress has been called to this
matter on past occasions, and the past
measures which are now recommend
ed by the tariff commission are sub
stantiaily the same that have been
suggested by previous administrations
/ recommend that this phase Of the
tariff question receive the early atten-
tion of the Congress.
Woman SUFFRAGE.
Will you not permit me, turning
from these matters, to speak once
more and very earnestly of the pro-
posed amendment to the Constitution
which would extend the suffrage to
women and which passed the House
of Representatives at the last session
of the Congress 1t seems to me that
every consideration of justice and of
public advantage calls for the imme-
date adoption of that amendment and
its submission forthwith to the legis-
latures of the several states. Through
out all the world this long delayed ex-
tension of the suffrage is looked for !;
in the United States, l believe longer,
than anywhere else, the necessity for
~, <AiAu lAiC iuiliCASC duNuutGEG Oh IL 10
the national life, has been urged and
debated, by women and men who saw
the need for it and urged the policy
of it when it required steadfast cour-
age to be so much beforehand with
the common conviction; and ], for
one, covet for our country the dis
tinction of being among the first to
act in great reform.
Telegraph and Telephone Lines.
The telegraph and telephone lines
will of course be returned to their
owners as soon as the retransfer can
be effected without administrative
confusion, so soon, that is, us the
change can be made with least pos
sible inconvenience to the public and
to the owners themselves. The rail-
roads will be handed over to their
owners at the end Of the calendar
year; if l were in immediate contact