Milford chronicle., 1920-12-24
TARIFF REVISION In ORDER

WASHINGTON-The announcement
that the Ways and Means Committee
will begin tariff hearing January 6tl
, is proof that the Republicans arr
speedily mobilizing for reconstruction
declares the Republican Publicity As
sociation, through its president. Hon
Jonathan Bourne, Jr.
"Of our nearly S4.700.000,000 wortf
of imports for the ten months of the
current year ended October 81, food
stuffs accounted for "a per cent oil
1902, 100000, and manufactured goods
made up 81 per cent. or S1,461 100000
For the same period of 1919, with inn
ports totaling S3,100,000,000 food
stuffs totaled $912,000.000. and man.
ufactures SS44,000.000. Compared with
the 1919 period the ten months of 1920
shows an increase of $1,000. 100000 in
total imports. S690,000.00O in food
stuffs, and S617,003. 900 in manufac-
lures. 1t is interesting to note that
the increase in total imports, the 1920
over the 1919 period, is greater by
$140,000,000 than the grand total of
imports for the ten months ended Oc-
tober 81, 1913, under the protective
tariff policy Our total imports for the
1913 period were 1,460, 100000.
Another interesting point to note
is that while the imports for the 1913
period paid S26S,000,000 into the Fed
eral Treasury by way of customs du-
ties, the imports for the 1920 per-
iod, more than three times as great,
paid in customs duties not more than
$4,000, 900 in excess of the 1913 col
lections, or, to express it in simple
proportion, $1,460, 100000 is to $685.
000, 900 as $4,000, 900, 900 is to $685.
100000. This indicates the hopeless
failure of the Democratic tariff policy
in the matter of raising revenues.
Foodstuffs imports today are nearly
five times what they were before the /
war, in point of value, while imports I
of manufactures have been multiplied 1
by nearly two and one-half But out
side Of the foreign producer and the
importer none of us appears to have
Drofited by this condition of affairs.
"The situation points unerringly to
he necessity of a restoration of the
protective policy just as soon as Con-
sress can assemble its data, draft a
proper measure, and present it to
Warren G.. Harding for signature. In
9OS the tariff issue was the leading
ssue of the campaign which ended
n the election of Mr. Taft The Re-
publican party. realizing the necessity
or speedy tariff revision, began a /.
survey in the summer of :
hat year. On November 10, 1908, inn
nediately following the election, the !
10 60 1
congress opened its public hearings
n the tariff schedules, and these for
nal hearings continued until Decem-
er 22nd. However, supplementary
earrings and the filing of briefs, oc-
upied the committee until well into |,
Iarch of 1909, and the printed hear y
lgs of the committee occupied near d
2 5000 pages, to say nothing of the y
brary of statistics and consular re- II !,
Orts which was placed at the dispos- u
of the Congress which was called /
Y Mr.. Taft on March 18th to take up =
le general tariff revision. Champ u
lark, in opening his attack on the o.
II, March oath, declared: No IS men, II
and Republican both, in ~
e history of this country ever did ~
lrder more tedious, or more fatigu- W
g work than the is members of the Di
ays and Means Committee did in ST
ese hearings. Think of it, We be- "A
n at half past in the morning and NJ
Orked until o'clock. took an hour
+ lunch. then worked until Z o'clock, te
king an hour for dinner, and work III
until IL and II o'clock at night...... pc
lder no circumstances have l ever w
rformed any other labor so exhaus- CO
'e of nervous energy ac
'The tariff issue was the chief is IN
e then. and it is one of the leading pl
sues today. Never in the history of OF
e world have commercial nations ~
hibited such greed and rapacity for Ih
2 control of markets. We must pro- III
t our own right speedily" eu