The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-09-04
OPENING FOR RICE IN
SOUTHERN COUNTRIES
Congressional Candidate Looks for Re.
vision in Tariff Schedules.
(By ]. Y. Sandersl

A general revision of the Tariff Act
by the Congress to be elected this No,
vember, is regarded as inevitable. In
fact, upon so much of the national leg
islative program as provides for an
early revision, both of the political
parties are in accord.
The Democratic party, responsive
to this demand, which will enable
America to meet the altered Condi-
lions following in the wake Of the
world war, is even now using all gov,
vernment agencies at Washington to
gather reliable data, and to otherwise
facilitate the task of the new Congress
should it be convened by the incom'
ing President for this purpose in the
spring of 1921,
The sentiment for revision among
the Republicans is equally as strong
That party upon regaining control OF
the House at the last election, after
ten years of Democratic control, at
temped an immediate revision, and
some of the more important schedules
were actually altered and passed by
the House. The Republican Senate,
however, failed to act upon any OF
these matters, as it was opposed to
opening up the tariff question until
after the President election.
1t is no eXaggeration to Saythat the
contemplated legislation will be the
most important work of this CharaC-
ter that has ever been under taken by
Congress. While the main purpose in
all triff revisions which from time to
time become necessary, is to scienti'
fically revise the schedules and to in.
sure the preservation of high standard
of living to American labor, while at
the same time fostering to the utmost
all branches of American industry, yet
it is universally recognized that as a
result of conditions growing out OF
the war, to which | have already al
luded we will for the first time APP
prOach the next revision from a radi
cally different point of view.
Heretofore our position in world af
fairs was somewhat isolated. That con
dition is now changed. In the late
struggle America was not only compel
led to preserve civilization, but fol
five years she was called upon to feed
a war-torn world. How she did it is the
marvel of the ages. 1t was possible
only because of the patriotic respOnce
of the American farmer to repeated
appeals for increased production. Nc
more lofty spirit than they displayed
can be found in any calling This was
demonstrated by the fact that there
was planted in leading cereals in 1919
some 100000 acres more than the
annual pre-war average which it is
estimated will yield 695,000,000 bus
more than the pre-war average.
A somewhat similar story is told OF
all branches of American agriculture
and the great problem to confront our
law making body in the near future
will be to find market for this vast
increase in the products of our larms
where it may be disposed of upon
terms that are commensurate with
the worthy efforts that produced them.
The situation is rendered all the
more difficult, however, by the new
commercial regulations and restric-
lions that are being enacted through.
out the civilized world. AS result of
their recent experience all nations are
revising their tariffs. They are doing
this with a view of becoming as near
ly self-supporting as possible in the
hope that they will never again feel
the pinch of hunger. Asia which es-
capped the horrors of war underwent
crop failures which has resulted in
the oriental governments also taking
effective measures to stimulate pro.
duction.
Perhaps no American interest is
more vitality affected by this world.
wide condition than the Rice industry.
The men engaged in the production of
that crop yield to none in the manner
in which they responed to the country
plea to help feed the world And yet,
it is a lamentable fact that they must
now seek foreign markets because the
American people as a whole have not
yet learned to consume this, the great.
est of all the worlds cereals and the
staff of life of the greater portion of
mankind.
| am especially concerned about the