Milford chronicle., 1920-12-10
TARIFF A NATIONAL ISSUE

WASHINGTON" famous re-
mark by General Hancock that the
tariff is a local issue seems likely to
be revised in view of the nationwide
demand just at present for the enact
ment of a protective tariff law" de-
clares the Republican Publicity As
sociation, in statement made re-
Gently by the president of that organ
ization, Hon. Jonathan Bourne, Jr.
For a great many years the North
was the only section of the United
States advocating a protective tariff.
The South was utterly opposed to the
principle of protection. In recent
months, however, there has been an
insistent demand not only among man
ufacturers but among farmers-not
only among the people of the North
but among the people of the South
for the enactment of a law which
shall impose protective import duties
upon commodities of practically all
classes.
"Just now the farmers of the West
are holding conferences and conven-
tions and adopting resolutions deman-
ding an import duty on grain, dairy
products, live stock, etc. Ten million
bushels of wheat imported from Can
ada in a single month at Il time when
the wheat growers of the United States
are unable to sell their grain for a
price that will cover the cost of pro-
duction, immense impOrtatiOns of but
ter from Denmark, large importations
of meat from Argentine, and offerings
of Australian and Argentine wool de-
pressing the markets in the United
States, have impressed the farmer
with the need OF an America First
policy which shall insure to the AM
erican producer at least an even
chance in his home market
Now we also see the shutting down
of textile mills along the Atlantic
Coast and in those Southern States
which have in recent years become
manufacturers of cotton goods. Coin
cident with this curtailment of pro-
duction and consequent reduction of
we read statistics of inn
ports showing that in the nine months
ended with September we bought for
eign manufactured cotton goods to
the value of $113,O00,0O0 as compared
with $29,000,000 last year. The in
crease is not only in value but in
lOl III TIC hlAlC llAOhNho VI
the year 1920 our imports of unbleach-
ed cotton was 50,000,000 yards as COM
pared with less than 100000 yards |
in 1919. OF bleached cloth there were |
imported 21,000,000 yards as compar-
ed with 100000 yards last year. OF |
dyed-in-the-piece and printed cloths |
there were importations of 42,0O0,O0O |
as compared with 7,000,000 I
yards in the same period of the prev |
ious year. In the aggregate Of all the 1
various kinds of cotton cloths, there /
were imported in the first nine months (
Of 1920, over 122,000,000 yards as
with 22,O0O,0OO yards in the
period in the year be-
fore, an increase of approximately
100000 yards or nearly 500 per
cent.
These are facts, not theories. 1t
must be perfectly clear to any stu
lent of economics that if we buy cot
on goods in Europe there must be a
diminution of produc-
ion in the United States, and if there
S diminished production in the United
states there must be fewer wage ear
lers, less money in circulation, dimin-
shed buying of various commodities
lsed by people from day to day, and
essened activity in all kinds of busi-
less and industry.
mo one contends that we should
discontinue all buying abroad. What
he farmers of the West, the peanut
rowers of the South, the live stock
nen of the Southwest, and the manu-
acturers of the Eastern States are
ontending for is an import duty
yhich shall amount to at least the diff
erence in cost of production at home
nd abroad so that the American pro-
ucer may compete on an equallty
18th his foreign competitor.
Agitation for restoration of pro-
sctive tariff, coming as it does from
II sections of the country. makes the
aria a national rather than a local
;sue.'