The Washington herald., 1921-03-31

IN BUT TARIFF
WORK Goes ON
Importers Line Against
Valuation and Dump
ing Bills.
FORDNEY IGNORES
ALL OBJECTIONS
Holds Rush Legislation
Aimed to Protect Man
+ ufacturers.
Importing interests are Inning Vi

Importing interests are lining uT
opposition 70 the American val
iation. bill and the anti-dumplne
bin. the two measures which. Re-
.pubfican, Congressional. leaders
with the approval of President
Harding. propose to rush through
! Congress at the beginning of the
special session with a view to pro-
1 viding additional protection under
texisting duties in advance of gen.
4 eraI tariff revision
Although the Republican leaders
have expressed confidence that both
bills would go through without
difficulty, the protests which are
steadily increasing in volume may
stir up q considerable amount ol
trouble.
Fordney Ignores Objections.
Chairman Fordney Of the House
Ways aud Means Committee frank
~ ignores the objections of impor-
ters on the theory that 1t is the
purpose of Congress to provide pro-
lection for American manufac-
turers. The first formidable protest
made by New York importing In
terests against the proposals
merely served to stimulate the ar
dor with which Middle Western
members of the Ways and Means
Committee were advocating them
More recently the protests have
begun TO come in from establish
ments scattered throughout the
country which have importing as
well as misunderstanding interests
and these organizations may be
given more serious consideration.
The chief cause of complaint Is
the bill changing the basis of val
uation Enactment of this meas
ure would overthrow the foreign
vaIuation system which has been In
effect almost continuously for more
than a century and would cause
such a complete upsetting OF ad-
ministratiye methods as to result In
serious difhculties In case the new
EIaa falls u werk out TEL Tne
hnpofcers ESQ oppose The antf-
dumping bill as being unnecessarily
Drastic. but fnasmuch as that meas
ure is not Of such a comprehensive
nature the opposition is being CEN
tered on the valuation bill.
Declare Plan Impraetieable.
II Is declared by the importers
that the plan to arrive at tarifi
values on imports by determine
tion of the American wholesale SELL
ing price will prove impracticable,
that IL will bring about great con-
fusion, that II will cause serious
delays in entering and clearing i'm
ports through the customs. and that
IL will create a vast amount OF liti-
cation and swamp the general ap.
praisers with an accumulation OF
cases
That the effect Of the proposed
change would be to bring about
such a general increase in duties
on the basis of present rates as Is
claimed by the sponsors OF the plan
Is denied by the importers.
9s-A
Importing interests have made
combinations which they contend
prove that. generally speaking, the
price of imported articles when
nsured in foreign currency has in
creased in the rv6io that the for
eign currency has deprecated as
compared with the United states
dollar. Such compilations tend to
prove that the depreciation in for
eign currencies has not resulted un-
der the present system of basing
duties on foreign values in the i'm
position of decreased duties. This
point has developed a sharp contro-
versy, many manufacturers having
produced figures applying 70 their
own products which show that in
certain instances at Seast the in
crease in foreign value has not kept
pace with the depreciation in for
eign currency.
Argument Submitted.
The Merchants Association of
New York. which is opposing the
change in basis of valuation, has
submitted as part Of its evidence
letter from the ONCE of the ap-
praisers of merchandise Of the GUS
toms service at New York replying
to a number OF questions pro-
pounded. In reply to the question
as to whether the price OF imported
articles figured in foreign currency
has kept pace with the depression
in the value of that currency this
answer Is given:
Generally speaking, the price Of
imported articles has increased in
the ratio that the foreign currency
deprecated as compared with the
United States dollar"
Replying to the question as to
whether the depreciation in foreign
currencies has resulted in decreased
duties collected the letter SAYS:
The depreciation of foreign cur
rency may. In certain instances, de-
crease the duties collected as, for
illustrations:
IF the exchange value in United
States currency Is lower upon the
date of expectation than at the time
Of purchase. with no deliveries made
at the higher asking erice ON the
: date of expectation. in such in
stances the appraised value at the
delivered or purchased price, which
represents the market value as de-
nned, when converted at the ex-
change rate prevailing on the date
Of expectation (certifcation) resuIt.
In lower United States eouivaI.,t1 -