Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1921-11-03
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER ), 1921
CHECKING UP ON FORDNEY'S FIGURES.

LLTEvERE is not manufactured article produced In tne
Il United States in which the labor cost Is less than
30 per Of the total cosJ mean. following the raw
material TO fnish" declared Chairman Forney
OF the Ways and Means Committee In interview
Gently Now that is true. OF the S90OOOOOOO that we
are sending each month 10 buy foreign goods
s25OO0OO0 is going out from the people the United
States to employ German French English Japanese and
Chinese labor while laborers walking the streets
in Ideness-"
Representative Fordney cited some interesting figures
showing the per capita basis OF import duties paid by the
peoples OF various countries at this time
Last year" said he Canada collected $3.50 in import
duties for every man. and child in Canada Great
Britain collected $3.50 per capita SIPS 10000 We col
ected 1913 Little Japan is collecting at the rate OF 20
per cent ad vaorem upon all her Imports dutlabe and
free We have the lowest duty Of any principal country
the face Of the earth right and have had since
1918"
In corroDoration OF Mr. Fordneys statement it may ne
said that the ad valorem rate OF duty all i'm
ports entered for consumption i9iiv92O something like
per cent This the contribution OF the Underwood
law still in forcel 70 the Treasury During the fiscal
years. i9i-i9is Inclusive imported under that law
81 PEG 100000 worth Of goods which paid duties aggrega-
ing SiAO2OOOOO0 During 1918 the foreign commerce g-
ures were based calendar years and six months OF
1918 together with 1910 and 1920 recorded Of Si0
100000 worth Of imports yielding customs duties ag-
gregating s6S7OOOOOO-n ALL i9i4i92O imports s2i6is-
100000 duties, si.739 COCOON
first full year OF the Underwood the average ad
valorem lass per cent in 1918 IL made the low record
mark 500 per cent and last year it 6s per cent
The import duties per capita s2s5 in 1914 and 1901 in
1920 Imports per capita si9ds in 1914 and s722
1920
The Payne Jaw. which in force from 1909 To 1918
averaged about 20 per cent ad vaorem import duties per
capita ran from 1916 to S3A9 and imports per capita
varied from 1892 To sisei.
Possibly the best comparison afforded to the
producing abilities Of the two bills indicated by the fact
that ssisoooooo worth OF Imports under the Payne law
s5ao2Oo0oO0 worth imports under the present law
1920, yielded Just about the amount
As a revenue-producer the Underwood law has been q
nat failure, and the primary purpose OF its authors il
framing the bill to raise revenue.
Mr. Fordney denies any disposition on the part OF m
Republicans 10 embargo imports but says hope ina
this new tariff bill will curtai Imports"
lie finds that the chief opposition to the American valu
alton plan comes from certain importers and cites the FAC
that last year there 500 cases OF naturalization
the New York customs house alone while this year the
are running at the rate OF 500 a month
why do foreigners who export to this country or PEE
pie OF this country who import from foreign countr,
undeNalue ?" he asks and Because they pay
duty"
Another argument which he gives support OF the pls
is the question OF demoralzed foreign exchange
American valuation viii fix the valuation upon The go
dollar" he declares. Every dollar OF our money SIM
1896 is worth 100 cents because It all redeemabe
gold and will eliminate those exchange values OF 70
eign money by American valuation Those are the tv
outstanding reasons for American valuation"