Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-10-26
HARDING PROMISES
PROTECTIVE TARIFF
Declares Democratic System
Brought Industries to
Brink Of Disaster


Marion, o., Oct. 28.--Reiterating
his belief In a protective tarih policy,
Senator Harding declared In telegram
made public here today that as soon as
the Republicans were returned to power
they would inaugurate q prompt re-
turn to the American system of protec-
tion for American industry"
The telegram, in reply to one from
Paul A. Ewert, Of Joplin, Mo-. related
particularly to the zinc industry, but
pointed out that along with the slump
In zinc prices had come similar recess
sions In. many other lines of .produc..
ton, including notably agricultural
production. The senator's message
The case of Joplin district zinc is
typical one. The Democrats removed
the protection from sinc, that procedure
being one of the fundamentals Of their
political card. Zinc was merely one Of
a great number Of our American prod
ucts that suffered precisely the same
fate when Democratic tariff policy was
applied.
Says War Halted Disaster
Under the Democratic tariff law OF
1913, the country was already approach
Ing industrial disaster when the world
war began. The foreign demand was
80 great and prices were 80 unimpor-
tant that everything we could produce
was promptly taken by the warning ma
tions. SO the disaster was postponed.
"But with the end Of the war the
| foreign demand, not only for zinc but
for q great number OF other products
whose protection had been removed, i'm
mediately fell of. With demand re-
duced and with foreign competition des-
| perately seeking our unprotected mar
kets, we have suddenly found ourselves
at the beginning Of an era In which,
unless the American policy Of protec-
tion IL resumed. we are bound to become
more and more the dumping ground for
the products Of all the world.
Produced by cheaper labor, they
must inevitably drive our own products
out of our own markets, compel the
suspension Of production at home and
bring idleness and suffering not merely
TO the thousands OF workers In q par
ticular industry, but to the millions Of
workers In hundreds Of industries.
Asserts Agriculture Suffers
"Along with this disaster to the min
ing and Industrial interests has come q
similar disaster to American agriculture.
The recent slumps in prices Of agricul I.
tural products has brought great hard :
ship to American agriculture. Vast crops
were raised under conditions which made
them extremely costly, and now that
the farmers have them in hand they
find that prices have fallen so suddenly
and rapidly that enormous losses must
be sustained.
when the Republican party is re-
stored to control OF the government aftel
March next there will be prompt
return to the American system Of pro
lection for American industry. Tha
policy has been to eQualize the cost o.
production at home and abroad.
"As to zihc, It Is my recollection tina
the Republican members of the Senat
subcommittee on finance, Senator's Wat
son and Curtis, voted to report favorabl.
the tariff bill desired by the American
zinc producers, providing for a tarih o
two cents per pound on the metallic con
tents Of imported zinc ores. But tn
Democratic members voted against 1t.
"When I am president, IL such
measure is again urged and II It Is foun'
to comply with the Republican formula
} Of imposing sufficient tariff to measur
the difference between cost OF production
at home and abroad, shall certainl!
.. give my support to it."