The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1921-09-23
THE AMERICAN
VALU ALTON PLAN.

san tranclSco.-llulck to realize
the danger to home industry by the
importation of low-priced German
merchandise, England, Australia and
Canada have provided adequate pro-
/ teotion to their manufacturers so that
the workers in those countries would
not have to lower their standards Of
| living, but America is yet to act, ac-
colding to statement issued by the
American Valuation Association. an
organization composed of the manu-
facturers of this country.
Congress now has before it a tariff
bill, the statement continues, which if
adopted with the American valuation
plan for assessing ad valorem duties
on imports, will afford the best relief
tc the evil which today threatens sew
eral of the leading industries of
America with extinction.
When Australia placed an embargo
uron German goods, that government
said "Our boys fought against the
Germans and we are going to see
when they come home they have jobs.
We are not going to allow Germany
to rehabilitate herself at the expense
Of our own people" Canada, instead
of allowing German merchandise to
be valued at the present rate of the
mark, has arbitrarily determined to
value imports from that country at 80
per cent of the normal exchange rate
of the mark or seven and one-half
times the present rate. England has
placed duty against German goods
for the protection of its people, but
with the proviso allowing for the re-
turn of that duty if the goods are
shipped to the United States. In 9th
cr words the duty is adequate to pro-
tect British industry but a British fl
nancier can take in these goods. pay
outy on them, and then ship them over
here and get a return of his duty plus
q profit on the transaction And the
American workman is thrown into
competition with the w-priced Ger
man.
With the German mark Is times
below normal, as compared with a de
preciation of little more than one dol
lar in the English pound sterling, two
cents in the Japanese yen and about
10 cents in the French franc, America
faces a problem in arranging a sched-
ule of tariff rates that will provide adj
equate perfection against Germany
and not act as an embargo against
other foreign countries if the present
system of assessing duties on foreign
valuation is used. But by determin-
ing all ad valorem duties on the AM
erican valuation plan, or wholesale
market value in this country, no dis
elimination is shown and all countries
will be treated alike in the amount of
duty imposed on imports.
eff the American valuation plan is
rot made a part of the tariff bill, the
lawn mower industry in this country,
giving employment to more than L.
600 people at an average wage of S5
per day and producing 100000 lawn
mowers annually, will be destroyed"
], M. LontZ, president of the f. & n.
Lawn Mower Company, says in a
statement to the secretary of the Am
erican Valuation Association, 81 have
renectly received a German catalogue.
dated May 2, 1921, quoting price of
90 marks on lawn mower which is
an exact duplicate of a popular Amer
lean model that at today's price of la
Dor and materials can not be produced
in America for less than S4.25. With
the mark worth but a fraction more
than cent and a half in American
money, the German price for the
mower is rs cents, or six times below
the American price. So you can see
what | mean when I say this industry
will be destroyed, not crippled, if ade-
quate protection is not provided"
Many other industries face like
fate. The basket manufacturers of
America, Is in all, giving employment
to 10000 workers and with a capital
investment of S10,00O,OOO face ruin
MANY baskets are being imported
from Germany and Japan, where Ia
bon is extremely cheap and much Of
the work is done in the homes by the
women and children" writes +. A.
Florang, president of the Burlington
Basket Company, 'and the only way
We hope to compete with these coun-
tries is to have the import duties bas-
ed on the American Valuation Plan"