Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-05-22


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.
TARIFF NEEDS REVISION
Nevertheless there are parts of our
tariff system which prompt attention. Tho
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 domestic considerations must be
borne in mind which are political as we'll
as economic. Among the Industries to
which special consideration should be
given is that of the manufacture Of dye
stuffs and related chemicals. Our COM
plete dependence upon German supplies
the war made the opening of trade a-case
OF exceptional economic disturbance.
The close relation between the manu-
facturer of dyestuffs, on the one hand
ana OF explosives and poisonous gases
on the other, moreover has given the in
dustry an exceptional significance and
value. Although the United States will
gladly and unhestatingly join In the pro-
gram OF international industry it will,
nevertheless. be policy of obvious
ful maintenance of many strong and we'll
equipped chemical plants. German chemi-
cal industry with which we will be
brought into competition was and may
well be again thoroughly knit monopoly
capable or exercising n competition of a
peculiarly insidious and dangerous kind,
U. S. SHOULD PROTECT ITSELF
THE United States should, moreover,
re IL.
itself whenever our trade is Disseminated
against by foreign nations, 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 retaliation in case other
governments should enact legislation
hostile in its bearing on products as
compared with the products of other
countries. Though we are as far as
possible from desiring to enter upon any
course of realization, 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 exhaustively in
vestigated by the United States tariff
commission. A recent report of that COM
mission has shown very clearly that we
lack and that we ought to have the i'm
struments necessary for the assurance\
equal and equitable treatment.
THE attention Of Congress has been
called to this matter on past occasions
and the past measures which are now
recommended by the tariff commission
are substantially the same that have been
suggested by previous administrations. 1
recommend that this phase of the tariff
question receive the early attention of
the Congress.
WOMAN SUFFRAGE IMPERATIVE
will you not permit me. turning from
these matters, to speak once more and
very earnestly of the proposed amend
ment to the constitution which will ex-
tend 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
immediate adoption of that amendment
and it's submission forthwith to the
legislators of the several States. Through
out all the world this long delayed extern
sion of the suffrage Is looked for: in the
United States. longer, I believe, than any
where else. The necessity for it, and the
immense advantage of it to the national
life, have been urged and debated, by
women and men who saw the need for it
and urged the policy of it when it re-
quired steadfast courage to be SO much
before hand with the common conviction;
and l, for one, covet for our country
the distinction of being among the first
to act in a great reform.
WIRE LINES RETURNED SOON
The telegraph and telephone lines will be
returned to their owners as soon as the
transfer can be effected without admnis-
trative confusion, so soon, that is, as the
change can be made with least possible
Inconvenience to the public and to the
owners themselves. The railroads will be
handed over to their owners at the end Of
the calendar year. If were in immediate
contact with the administrative questions
which must govern the retransfer Of the
telegraph and telephone lines, could
name the exact date for their return also.
Until I am in direct contact with the prac.
teal questions involved l can only suggest
that In the case of the telegraphs and
telephones, as in the case of the railroads,
it is clearly desirable in the public inter-
est that some legislation should be con-
sidered which may tend to make of these
indispensable instrumentalites of our
modern life a uniform and co-ordinated
system which will afford those who use
them as complete and certain means of
communication with all parts of the coun-
try as has long been afforded by the pos
tai system of the government and at
rates as uniform and Ineligible. Expert
advice, Is of course available in this very
practical matter. and the public interest
Is manifest. Neither the telegraph nor
the telephone service of the country can
be said to be in any sense national sys-
tenn. There are many COMMISSIONS and in
constituencies of rates. The scientific
means by which communication by such
instrumentalities could be rendered more
thorough and satisfactory has not been
made full use Of
1.-THE minor taxes provided for in the
revenue legislation of 1917 and 1918. though
no doubt made necessary by the pressing
necessities of the war time, can hardly
find sufficient justification under the cas-
Ter circumstances of peace and can now
happily be got rid of. Among these. hope
"A study of the whole question OF
electrical communication and of the
means by which the central authority
of the nation can be used to unity and
improve it, IL undertaken, by the APP
propriate committees of the Congress
would certainly result indirectly, even
If not directly, in great public ben.
eft
WOULD REPEAL DRY" LAW
THE rehabilitation of the military
forces of the country has progressed