davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1921-10-23

1900 employees on our manufacturing
and distributing pay roll. AS manu-
facturers we ask no excessive protec-
tion upon our manufactures and are
content TO compete under any reason
able tariff and with our own manu-
featuring ability. We speak from the
viewpoint % the wholesaler, having in
the ighborhood of 10000 retail mer-
chants ss customers and about FIVE
hundred travelling statesmen.
"We speak from the viewpoint Of
the retailer as we'll as that OF the im-
porter, although our importing busi-
ness is but small percentage Of our
total volume of business. It is an
essential and necessary par; OF most
lines Of business that merchandise be
sold FOR future delivery, as for ex
ample dry goods sold in che spring fer
delivery in the late summer or fall.
Buyers who 10 into the foreign mar
kets would fnd themselves confronted
with the difficulty Of guessing what
some appraiser would find to De the
wholesale price III some market in the
United States at which similar goods
would be produced and sold when the
foreign goods are ready for delivery.
Merchants could not afford to speculate
on SO great an uncertainty and imports
1.-THE American Valuation Plan means
higher prices not only upon imports,
il It is possible to import. but upon
domest merchandise as we'll, for 1t
permits American naanufa cturers 10
absolutely conrtol their foreign ccns
r,etition. and the American consumer
pays the hills. In It's broader aspects
the American Valuation Plan strikes
at the very heart Of the nations indus
tries. It is well established. economic
fact that the success or failures OF
our agricultural pursuits depend upon
the marketing abroad of our surplus
agricultural products. The impover-
fshed nztoins Of Europe nave nothing
with which 90 buy this surplus or oru
other raw materials SO necessary to
their manufacturing existence except
their manufactured commodities.
"'The tremendous increase IN the ac-
tual duty under the American Valuation
Plan indicates the barriers which i
will raise against our buying tneiI
manufactured commodities and will
make it Impossible to market our sur.
plus agricultural products. Stagnatlon
viii follow in all branches Of business
agricultural, merchandising, banking
and will finally react upon the specla!
interest which this plan designs to
favor, namely, the domestic manlfac-
turer.
"TEe American Valuation Plan Is
good in name only, its name American
being purely deceptive-a disguise te
hide the highest protective duties that
have ever been draened Of. Marshall
Field & Co. believes in tariff thai
will give reasonable protection to Amer
ican manufacturers and American labor
against foreign competition. We firmly
believe that the practical and sue
cessful method of assessing duties in
vogue for over 100 years should not be
discarded for theoretical. untried and
in our iudgm ent. impractical plan II
New-York tribune., 1921-10-23
Call American Valuation Vicious Barrier to Trade

to increase international friction and
the danger of international complica-
tions. also of war;"
Professor d. Dozier, professor of
economics, Dartmouth College. Han
over, N. H.-"Most Of our tariff laws
nave been passed on grounds of ex-
pediency and not as matters of prin-
ciple. The situation to be met at the
present is stagnation at home and
want abroad. We need the European
market and the European market needs
our goods. The expedient proposed is
tho Fordney bill with the American
valuation plan, which is practically a
prohlbitive tariff measure. Exchange
is mutual. No trade is possible where
one party In excluded from participa-
ton. We cannot induce Europe to buy
II We forbid her to pay. We cannot
collect by making it Impossible for her
TO settle. We cannot force our goods
through channel stopped by our
selves. If we don't want foreign
market let US be frank enough to say
SO and destroy the means of securing
le. Ii we do want one, let us be frank
enough to say 30 and remove as best
we can the present distractions, and
see to it that no future ones are placed
In its WAY -
New-York tribune., 1921-10-23
Creating Neip Desires

This rather extreme case has been
cited only TO emphasize the possibili-
ties Of this tenet insforeign trading of
Changing the buying habits of ma
ton" To-day American shoes, ready
made clothing, dentifrices, toilet arti-
Giles, electrical appliances, sewing ma
chines--to mention but few-have
become necessities to a considerable
portion of the population and might
not have been so generally introduced
had the European system of sticking
closely to the theory of giving the peo-
pie what they wanted been rigidiy fol-
lowed. Creating new desires is often
more important economically than sup
plying those which already exist.
The writer for number of years
was an executive officer of the Mexican
Light and Power Company, the largest
public service corporation in Mexico
AS with every organization Of this
kind. one Of the problems consisted in
building up what was known rs the
ofYpeak load; that is, stimulating, the
use Of electric current during those
hours OF the twonty-four when there
was no demand for it for lighting pur-
New-York tribune., 1921-10-23

the United States and all articles made
therefrom or from like imported ma
terlais, thus sold in Wholesale ouan-
titles or not sold or freely offered for
sale TO all purchasers in the ordinary
course of trade, or MT sold at all. and
the selling price in the United States
OF comparable imports. and the selling
price or market value and cost of pro-
duction Of the imported merchandise
IN the foreign country, and may ex-
clude or include all or any coats.
charges or expenses, including duty,
and also profits and commissions. if
any, keeping always in mind the lav;s-
lstive intention that duty ad valorer,
value of the imported merchandise In
the United States. No pretended sale
or offer for sale, tending to establish
q fictitious market, shall be held to
establish value as herein defined; nor
shall value be substantially raised or
lowered at the time OF expectation
otherwise than in the ordinary course
Of trade be deemed to be such value" ."
In contrast to this is the present
basis OF assessing duties, in which the
value OF the article is the actual price
Of it, as attested by invoice. Prevail
ing rates OF exchange are taken into
consideration, of course.
Proponents of the American valua-
tion clause declare that its intention
Is to Offset the deprecated exchange OF
foreign countries. which at first blush
appear to give those countries decided
advantage in the matter of price in
selling their products here. Opponents
to the plan declare that the rise in
prices in foreign countries tends to
keep pace with the fall in exchange. SO
that present prices Of foreign products
are not out of line with American val
ues, as the deprecated exchange rates
might indicate.
New-York tribune., 1921-10-23
Better Business
For Rest of Year
Seen by Douglas
L. 5. Chamber Statistician
Reviews Resent Rise i'm
Cotton and Says the Ho]i-
day Prospects Are Good

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22-Business
conditions in all sections OF the coun-
try continue to show Improvement, ac-
cording to Archer Wall Douglas,
chairman of the committee on statistics
and standards OF the Chamber of Com
merce of the United States, in his
monthly review of the general bust
ness situation.
Fall and winter seasonal goods are
beginning to move and the outlook is
for fairly good business the remainder
of the year" he says. AS the season
advances there appears to be a better
prospect of good hodilay and
Christmas trade.
"One of the most striking develop
naenta is the great improvement that
has come about in the South. due to
the rise in cotton prices. The good
effects of this boom will not be con-
fined to the Southern states, but will be
reflected in other districts.
"The story of the sudden rise in the
price Of cotton is a dramatic one. In
for another twelve months but the
practice Of grim fortitude and en-
durance which carried the South
through previous eras Of depression
and trial. For, hard tones and the
people OF the South are old ac-
ouaintances, and more than once they
have been close to the ragged edge of
disaster. This time they were dead
broke, although they possessed all
manner Of real wealth in an abundance
Of food, the greatest crop Of corn
ever raised, more livestock than ever
before, and much cotton carried over
from the previous season.
"But there was scant demand for
these comm odities, and then only at
ruinous prices So their obligations
could not be met for lack Of ready
funds. Then came the government
September report, and the South came
back after a sudden and dramatic
fashion. The burden OF obligations will
be mostly disposed of before the win
ter is past. Cotton is being sold freely,
and the farmer will dispose of most Of
his holdings by the New Year.
Business already has felt the I'M
pulse Of the incoming currency and
will grow gradually better.
"Such change as is apparent in in
dustrial life generally is rather for the
better. Textiles are in fair shape and
leather maintains both its demand and
appreciation in prices. There is some
increase in the output mi steel and
iron products, but the recent rise in
prices is not altogether convincing as
to its being permanently higher.
There is better demand for lumber
at somewhat higher figures The be-
lief is general that next spring Will
usher in renewed construction activity
"The oil bushes seems to have struck
bottom and started upward"
New-York tribune., 1921-10-23

Despite the pessimism which en-
shrouds export effort in the United
States to-day. merchants who have been
engaged IN overseas trade during ,.ie
past two decades are convinced that in
time We are to be the greatest Of world
merchants. Broadly plotting out the
markets. we see Russia, the Near East,
! South Africa. the Orient and Latin
America as the most desirable fields
for the extension of our suplus energies
and products. Particularly does tne
southern half Of the Western Hemi-
sphere beckon with allurins promises Of
large return. The war has thrust these
regions into a position of prominence
which otherwise might not have been
attained for several generations. Eighty
million people can be aided to raise
their standards of living If the genius
Of the North American exporter is
guided not solely by giving the people
what they want, but in creating new
desires which viii add to comfort, CON
yenience and efficiency.
Again returning to Mexico, the one
promising market where American mer-
chants have intcnsively tried out this
theory Of creating new demands and
raising living standards. not as an
idealistic measure but as sound busi-
! ness practice, the writer has often en-
tered huti during cross-country
/ horseback trip where The only article
of furniture which graced the earth
] floor was sewing machine of an inter
nationally famous American manrfac-
turer. No bed, no tablc-only the evi-
dence Of the indomitable determination
Of the American pioneer to give to
others some of the comforts brought to
his own people through the vision of the
Yankee inventor. On rare occasions a
/ phonograph shared the regal splendor
/ which the sewing machine cast on these
| humble and almost misera bic surround
| ings.
But this spirit which mixes service
to humanity with mercantile acumen
is causing the mud hut to disappear,
and to-day photographic and sewing
machines in village dwellings do not
seem SO majestic because of their iso-
lated grandeur. Wooden floors came
with American shoes, which in turn
| brought beds and tables. The goat
and the rooster still too often share
the new quarters with their human oc-
cupants, but it is not wide stretch of
the imagination to picture bath tubs
and rugs az following the others, for
the newly created demands furnished
the urge by which the peon made
! higher wages inevitable.
New-York tribune., 1921-10-23

weak roads. The Alton is weak, the
Frisco has in recent years been
through receivership, and the reor-
ganiGation was neither drastic nor, in
the opinion of many railroad men and
bankers. sound. The Katy is now in
the hands of receivers, The st. Louis
Southwestern alone has shown ele-
ments of strength. Are these roads
weak. simply because they have been
too vigorously competitive, and will a
combination Of them establish through
traffic and operating economies which
will make the system as a whole
strong? This apparently is the conclu-
sion which the Interstate Commerce
Commission comes to.
The question is answered negatively Y
by some traffic officers who have
worked in the Southwest. ana IN the
Affirmative by others. Soutiwestern
territory is highly competitive. There
can be no doubt that in the past this
competition has been cut-throat IN It's
nature. 1t was so keen that when the
Southwestern roads were combined in
one region under government opera
tion. personal feelings ran high, and
there were accusations and counter ac-
cusations of unfairness and favorit-
irr,,
New-York tribune., 1921-10-23
Hydro-Electric Plant

Not fifty miles southeast Of the
capital lies the great hydro-electric
plant Of Necaxa, supplying hundreds of
thousands of horsepower of energy to
Mexico City and thirty surrounding
towns. Other great hydro-e electric
plants dot the plateau region, lighting
towns and cities, operating tramway
great mining and manufacturing prof.
ects.
This great army Of constructors was
followed by merchants who did not
confine their selling efforts TO giving
the people what they wanted" but
educated them TO use of better food
wearing apparel and equipment. They
changed the buying habits OF ma
ton"
Trade figures ,loquently record the
success of this ..lnd Of pioneering in q
foreign market. Despite the devasta-
tion wrought by a sanguinary civil war
which lasted from 191l to 1921, our
trade with Mexico tripled even during
this decade. Mexico is nov the tenth
best customer of the United States,
from the selling standpoint, and ranks
ninth in the list OF buyers.
What are some of the things she buys
Let us start off with chewing gum, &
market for which surely did not exist
before the coming of the American
trader in large numbers. To-day q
great American manufacturer exports
enough Of this succuient confection TO
the land of the Aztecs to warrant the
maintenance of an office and special
representatives, in the capital city
Indeed, so profitable has this trade
become that other traders are closely
crowding him in their efforts TO get
their share of the business. And 1t is
not the few thousand Americans in
Mexico who are doing all or most of
the chewing. The hidalgo and the
sehorita are working their jaws as
enthusiastically as are any of the gum
chewing addicts who may be daily seen
indulging in their favorite pastine IN
the subway or at ball game or in the
office. An observant foreigner once
said that New Workers might be d.
vided into two classes, those who
chewed gum and those who didn't, but
here we have the pioneering efforts
of the new type of American trader
making the habit international.
New-York tribune., 1921-10-23

Samuel II. Halle. president o. the
Halle Brothers Company, Cleveland:
THE most disturbing feature % the
American Valuation plan 10 Us as re
tail merchants is the uncertainty that
its operation VIII result in 3 new era g
mounting and pyramiding prices. The
non-buyng wave of public sentiment
is now ebbing Let nothing change
this sentiment for fear OF further bust
ness depression. TIE sacrifices 10 IN
sure the present return to normally
measure that will interfere with it's
success and nullify The good already
accomplished. The nation needs s.
constructive, not u destructive, tariS
act
Frederick II. Rike. Of TIE Rike-K Kun
Ter Company, Dayton. Ohio: Il am op-
posed 10 the American vaiuatioD plan
az proposed III the new tariff iegisla-
ton because i is al artificial method
Of determining value, and is not ecc@
nomic or real md wiz not work out n.
actual practice to the salts faction Of
:npoTtera or 20 tine good c. the ger~
ersl public. Il will DC disappointment
ali around. It VIII tend 70 greatly re
strict impcrtasions Of foreign mer-
chandise because buyers will not be
able 20 determine ~ the time of pur-
chase what their selling price may be.
The element Of uncertainty viii be so
great that very few viii be able OF
, willing to take .he chance. To secure
the earliest ard oese readiustment a.
home and to assume our responsible lity
toward conditions abroad we do not
wasn't 60 surround tariff legislations or
any other kind OF legislation with ~
tiicial aad unscientitc restrictions-'
New-York tribune., 1921-10-23

q special interest at the expense Of the
consumer. 1t has neither economic nor
moral justification, and is most i'll ad-
vlsed. 1t places the determination OF
rates and the administration Of law in
the hands Of inefficient civil service
oticials back of whom will stand pow
erful manufacturing interests. A hun
dred million consumers will pay the
price of Congressional stupidity"
professor Willard c. Fisher, New
York University provisions of
the Fordney bill for the so-called
American valuation of imports are to be
condemned for three reasons--or more.
Il. Al its best, and with every deter
mlhatlon 80 make it fair and intellgi-
Bile, American valuation puts needless
difficulties and perplexities before both
importers and customs appraisers.
When duties arc based upon actual
costs at the places whence goods are
imported, 1T is-or might be--a com
paratively simple matter to ascertain
their amount. But even when the for
eign goods can be matched closely
among domestic products no good end
can be reached by figuring duties against
coniecturai American costs or values
which could not be reached at least az
easily by the established method of
foreign valuation. And when there are
important differences between the for
eign goods and the most similar Am err
lean products the way Is open for all
manner Of confusion, erroneous judg-
ment and arbitrary discretion, The
case is clearest-and worst-vith i'm
ported articles which are not produced
at all in the United States, as with
scores of important raw materials and
finished products.
New-York tribune., 1921-10-23
L. 5. Trade With Greece

The total value Of merchandise I'M
ported into the United States from
Greece during the month Of July, 1921.
amounted to $1o22.463, while imports
for the corresponding period Of 1920
were valued at 81 924, $50. During the
seven months ended July, 1927, the
United States imported from Greece
goods valued at sl5,633. ATS, and during
tae corresponding period of 1920, al
sl2,Ss9 265. Exports FROM the United
July, 1921, were valued at s1,454, I02.
ard during the corresponding period
CT 1920. at $l,233,224. Exports for the
seven months ended July, 1921, were
valued at s25 ,0S0,354, while exports
for the corresponding period es 1920
amounted TO $40. .467 AIS.
New-York tribune., 1921-10-23
proposed Method of Fixing the
Tariff Means Rule of
Uncertainty

p5FeTIoN the inclusion Of the american valuation pap IN
he tariff bill sweeping the country ali parts Of the
and from wide decided and
e objection becoming vocal the to value or
imports for customs duty appraisal upon the basis
of American goods Of quality Some
leading economists VINO cannot be accused harborng
being biased Tor financial joned
who outspoken the measure
eal departure the tariff Of the country
New-York tribune., 1921-10-23
Team, York


1t would take certain length of
time for the Frisco organization 10
learn to pull in the same harness with
the Katy organization and the Cotton
Belt organization. Our guess is that
It would take a long, time, a number
of years, thoroughly to fuse the ele-
ments that have been so strongly an
tagoni site al of their railroad lives.
Assuming, however. that the manage
ment problem could be surmounted.
there still remains the question Of
whether weak elements simply through
being combined with each other can
form strong system.
1t is the opinion of an old traffic
officer, whose work has been largely in
the Southwest. that the addition of the
Alton to the system, giving the system
an opportunity to compete at Chicago,
helps materially and would change
present traffic conditions sufficiently TO
make the possibility Of a successful
working-out OF such a combination as
| rhis actually probability. Other rail-
read officers disagree. They point out
that the Missouri, Kansas & Texas,
under the late Edwin Rawley, had q
closa financial relationship with the
bensfts therefrom at all At that time,
however, it must be remembered, there
had been no com binat3on OF other
roads, and the Southern Pacific and
the Rock Island were independent Of
each other.
The Interstate Commerce Comms-
sion does not eliminate competition in
the Southwest, it simply concentrate
it among four systems. System No. 1e,
i IS proposed by the commission, con
s;sts OF the Missouri Pacific, the Chi
i oago & Eastern Illinois, the Kansas
City Southern, the Texas & Pacific, the
international G. Great Northern, the
Kansas City. Mexico s, Orient, the
Kansas, Oklahoma & Gulf the Fort
Smith & Western. the Louisiana &
Arkansas and the Gulf Coast Lines.
I Hers again Is an all weak system
with one important exception. The
Kansas City Southern is strong rail.
road, and in his report Professor Rip
! ley lays considerable stress on the
strength of this road He calls atten-
ton TO its running "straight as .
, string" from Kansas City to the Gulf
and while actually the road is as full
Of curves as dogs hind leg, it Is the
! shortest railroad line in existence be
tween Kansas City and the Gulf.
large part Of the strength OF the
Kansas City Southern lies in It's stra.
tegic position as an Independent road
II nag large volume of traffic brourh,
from the Southwest which it can de-
liver to any one OF the various line:
! running north of Kansas City II is il
position, therefore. 70 bargain witt
New-York tribune., 1921-10-23
Congressional Stupidity

Professor Karl F. Geiser, Oberlin
College, Oberlin, Ohio" The Fordney
tariff bill will have disastrous effect
upon the trade and commerce of the
United States and of the world, not
only because Of unreasonable rates and
vicious plan of valuation, but because
IN principle and spirit it goes counter
to the most elementary and elemental
principles of international econ omcs.
1t will add to the existing barriers to
trade those OF q protective tariff Our
future national prosperity win incrcas-
ingiy depend on our foreign trade. II
we cannot buy from Europe she can
not buy from US. The Americn valua-
ton plan is especially pernicious, in
that it accentuates the evil common to
II protective tariffs-namely. favoring