The Sun and the New York herald., 1920-08-17
HARDING TARIFF
AIMS TO AVERT
BIG WAGE CUTS
High Pay Can't Continue
With Foreign Producers
Dumping in U. S.
INDUSTRIES IN DANGER
Protection Needed for War
Born and Other Bust
nesses Now Active.
MORE REVENUE; LESS TAX
Democratic Arguments for
Low Levies Refuted by
Facts and Figures.
INDUSTRIES IN DANGER
MORE REVENUE; LESS TAX

Special to THE Sun AND NEW YoRK HERALD
WASHINGTON, Aug. Ex-senator Har-
ding'S statement that American mar
kets must not be surrendered to for
| eign producers and that protective
tariff must be enacted for that specific
purpose has resulted In Republicans
here digging into figures with excel
lent results. Their researches show
conclusively that a Republican tariff
not only would be protective but
would take all the wind out Of Demo-
cratic sails by being immensely more
productive OF revenue, a thing now
sadly needed by the Federal Treasury.
The records show, 1t was pointed
out, that in the last seven years OF
Republican administration of affairs
OF the National Government, with a
protective tariff in effect, while i'm
ports amounted only to $4,000, ,000, 900,
the revenue therefrom was $4,000, O,0OO,-
900. This was for the seven years
period ending when Woodrow Wilson
entered the White House.
For the seven years he has been in
the saddle, with a Democratic tariff
for revenue only"-in effect, the reye-
nue. from this source has amounted to
81. .631. 100000 This much lower return to
the Treasury is a fact Notwithstanding
that in the seven Democratic years i'm
ports amounted to $4,000 OOO, ,OOe-just
double those for the last seven Repuh-
llcan years. -
These figures are counted upon to fur
nish excellent campaign material, par
ticularly in view of the fact that the
San Francisco platform lays stress on
the statement, NOW proved false. that a
low tariff means greater revenue
through greater bulk of imports.
Coupled with the necessity of protect
ing war-born industries in America, Re-
publicans believe they have an unan-
swerable argument so far as the ques-
ton Of the tariff is concerned.
The average rate of duty on imports
under the Wilson regime has been 6
per cent. Under the Republican admin
istrations preceding the advent of Mr.
Wilson the average was about 20 per
cent.
1t has been figured out by the Repub-
lican statisticians that had Republican
import duties been In effect in the seven
years just ended Federal income of
81, 900 OOO, 900 would have been received in
stead Of the little more than $3.50 900, 900.
This, it Is pointed out, would have
meant no necessity for many of the an
noying taxes a Democratic Congress
was forced to put into eject
To boost revenues to the Republican
standard the figures show, without any
change in the Democratic tariff 1t would
be necessary to increase importations
nearly 800 per cent. over the pre-war
average Of importations. With between
Ave and six billion dollars worth of
goods being imported into the United
States 1t was pointed out. 1t would be
absolutely impossible for America to re-
main industrially prosperous.
r 1t would therefore mean a severe cut
in the wage scale In effect in the United
States and terrific falling of in in
comes. with consequent loss of Federal
revenue from income taxes.
Republicans are prepared v 'th figures
to puncture the expected democratic an
swer. or partial answer. to this array Of
facts, to the effect that increased values
Of goods have made imports appear to
be greater In value. AS a matter of
fact, it is declared, quite the reverse
can be shown to be the case.