Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-07
TARIFF FOR MUTUAL BENEFIT
AND INDUSTRIAL COURTS
StatesmanIlke Recommendations for
Solving Pending Problems Made by
the President In His Address
to Connress

DRESIDENT HARDlNG'S address to
- Congress is n statcsmanlikc document.
There is nothing parochial or partisan in it.
1t is a broad. minded discussion of the prob
lens confronting the country and sincere
and intelligent attempt to suggest methods
for their solution.
1t begins with n frank abandonment of
the old policy of isolation when he says that
mo permanent rcadjustmcnts can be effected
without consideration of our unacceptable
relationship to world affairs In finance and
trade
That phrase, "incscapabc relationship"
is significant, even though it is confined in
its application to Finance and trade" 1t
involves a recognition of conditions to which
only the pNrochial politicians have been
blind.
The United States Is not only in the
world; it is of it also, and it must play
its part without hampCring itself by at
tcmpts to enforce the rules Of ancient for
mulas that originated in n different era.
While the United States must play its
part in world affairs mainly through the
initiative of the Executive, the President
asks for the cooperation of Congress. for
the best of intentions and most carefully
considered purposes would utterly fall
without 1t.
The Presidents discussion OF the tariff IS
as revolutionary as his discussion of the
relations Of the United States to the rest
of the world. Indeed his conclusions are
based directly upon his view of those rela-
tions. We cannot sell unless we buy, he
says. and he also says that 1--WE cannot
dwell in industrial and commercial cxclu-
sion and nt the same time do the just thing
in aiding world reconstruction and read
iustmPnts.'
This means. IL II means anything that he
is asking for a tariff law that will take
into account the necessities Of our Euro
pcan debtors as we'll as the "poicy Of pre-
serving the productive activities" at home.
1t is the policy which this newspaper has
been saying for several years would have to
be adopted If the United States were to
collect what Is owing it abroad 4 tariff
for a creditor nation must be framed in
very different way from the tariff for a
debtor nation, because II must be directed
toward different end
The remedy for labor troubles which the
President recommends is that which this
newspaper also has been urging. He says
that the interference with the comfort and
convenience of the public by industrial dis
putes is intolerab!c. To prevent such in
terference he would have "nrbltration and
judicial determination in controversies be-
tween labor and capital" But he goes
further than this. for he suggests that ar
rangemcnts be made for the organization of
1,h, 81 1s.I
Of the organizations MS there are now cor
porNtons Of capitalists with limited labli-
ties of the shareholders.
Other subjects are treated, but they nrc
of less Importance than these. The recon-
mcndNtion that the Governments while re-
framing from recognition of the Russian
Government, supply the Relief Administration
with 10,000,0OO bushels of corn and .0O0,-
600 bushels of seed grains Is n humane one.
directed toward the relief of the suffering
people. His suggestion that the most cf-
fcCtivc relief for the farmers will come
through development of the system Of CO.
operative marketing rather than through
laws passed by Congress- appeals to common
sense. And his appeal for an amendment
TO the Constitution which will enable Con-
gross to tax the income on State and mu-
nicipal bonds has its origin IN the dissatis-
faction Of the Treasury Department with
| the habit of money to hide from the tax
| gathcrcr.
These matters will provoke wide discus
| sion before any action is taken. As a
| matter of fact, shall not get the kind Of
tariff or labor laws which he recommends
without arguing and voting down IL consd-
crnble body of opposition.
But we have moved long way whcn the
President Of the United States puts the au-
thor!ty of his position behind two such sound
propositions as Mr.. Harding has put forth
! on the tariff and labor.