Omaha daily bee., 1920-08-17
Republican Leaders = $
To Force Old Quesl w
Surface-Give FigureS to
Prove Statements.
COMPARE REVENUES OF
TWO ADMINISTRATIONS
Point Out Increase of 100 Per
Cent Since 1918, But Declare
Custom Duties Show Drop
Of Twice That Amount.

since Senator Harding declared that
if elected president, he would call
for the Saving Americanism" of the
protective tariff policy, there has
been a strong undercurrent of tariff
reform talk, which some republican
leaders are now seeking to force to
the surface as one of the lively is
sues of the campaign.
The republican publicity associa-
zion, following MANY informal boosts
given to Senator Harding's tariff re-
vision upward, promises by various
republican leaders of strong pro-
lection leanings, tooy the the lead to-
day in advocating the tariff las an
issue and presented interesting fig
ures on the subject.
Contrasting the revenue results
to the country under democratic and
republican rule the republican pub
licity association points out that
seven years of American import
trade under the democratic tariff
law, l9l4-l920 inclusive, brought in
to this country goods aggregating
nearly $20,000,000,000 in value and
brought customs duties into the
treasury in the sum of 81 ,63l 10000
Under republican protection for
seven years previous, 1907-l9l3 in
elusive, the association discloses
American imports aggregated $l0.-
000, 600, 600 in value. but boosted fed
eral revenues by $780, 100000.
Custom Duties.
"While imports under democratic
law" says Jonathan Bourne, jr.,
president of the republican publicity
association, in comparing the two
seven-year periodss increased near
ly 100 per cent, custom duties fell
off about 200 per cent.
During the last two years under
republican law the total imports
came to $3,466, 100000; under demo-
cratic law, $8,334,OOO,0OOO. The re-
publican years gave us $630,00O, 900
of revenue; the democratic years,
$50, ,0O0, ,000, 900. The average rate of
duty on all imports under republican
law was about 20 per cent; under
democratic law is has sunk to per
cent.
"Had the republican rate of duty
been applied to the colossal imports
under the democratic law during the
last seven years Our treasury would
have realized nearly $4,000,000, 900
instead of the Sl,o00,000,000 actually
received. In order that the demo-
cratic tariff policy might produce
customs revenues equal to the sums
produced under the republican pol
icy. this country would BE obliged
to continue importations at a rate
IN excess of S5,C00,OOO,0OQ a year,
and in this connection it>is note
worthy that our imports for the
fiscal year ended June 80, last. val
ued at $5.23o,000,000, produced $685.
0O0, 900 of customs revenues, or just
about the sum realized in the last
republican year, on $l,8l3,000,O00
worth of imports.
Face Grave Question.
Having learned that, in order to
equal republican tariff laws as rev.
enuc producers, the democratic pol
icy must provide for an import
value of goods nearly three times
our pre-war average, another phase
of the situation remains to be dis
cussed, namely: How long can this
country continue to import between
and $6,000,000,000
worth of goods annually and still
remain industrially prosperous, keep
TIP wage standard twice as great
as before the war and pay enormous
income taxes?
Nor should it be argued that high
prices are mainly responsible for
the large aggregate in money value
of our imports today. Quite the
reverse is true. As all able economic
writer recently stated, in comment
ing on our 1920 import trade yet
even this figure is subject to seri-
Gus modification because of the in
flucnce of foreign exchange With
the French franc worth less than
half its normal value, the Italian
lire less than third and the Ger
man mark selling under one-eighth
of its parity, it is necessary for US
to import much larger quantity
of goods from countries of those
low currencies to offset in value an
equivalent tonnage, of our goods ex-
ported to them at high prices.
when Senator Harding asserted
that we would be calling for the
saving Americanism' of the protec-
tive tariff policy again, he stated
what every student of the subject
knows to be the truth. Assuming a
40 per cent over pre-war imports as
assimilable today we
should count on S500,000,000 in port
revenues annually
One Killed. Eleven Hurt