The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1921-02-25
WASHINGTON LETTER



Washington, Feb. 3.-"Chairman
Fordneys advocacy of the restoration of
the maximum and minimum tariff rate
provision in the next Republican tariff
law meet with the approval of those
who studied the operation of that clause
in the Republican tariff law of 1909"
declares the Republican Publicity Asso.
citation, through its President, Hon
Jonathan Bourne, Jr. "The clause will
be of particular value In the near future
because of the tendency on the part of
a great many of our foreign com.
petitors to discriminate against Amer
lean exports by way Of vexatious
regulations and, in some instances,
denying the entry of certain American
goods to their markets. For example,
it was testified recently before the Ways
and Means Committee that American
thermos bottles had been kept out of
Great Britain under licensing system
still in operation there, while thermos
bottles from Japan and Italy had been
given entry to h 9 British market.
Other instances have been cited of a
similar nature.
Again, there has been considerable
talk of retaliation on the part of GER
tain foreign nations against American
goods, should we restore our basic policy
Of protection. True, this threat is be-
ing held out mainly by importers of
foreign goods in the hope of soaring
the protectionists out of their intention
to increase the duty rates. Secretary
Colby, on his return from his South
American Tip, declared that no inten.
tion of retaliation had been brought to
his attention while down there, and
Representative Green, ranking member
on the Ways and Means Committee
declares such talk to be bogey which
is dragged forth by the Democratic
party whenever protective tariff law
is IN contemplation. But the adoption
of the maximum and minimum clause
in the next tariff law would make
assurance doubly sure in disouraging
any disposition to retaliate on us for
returning to tariff policy more general
ly indorsed today than ever in ouI
history. - a. y -,s.el,..a% M
''The adoption of the maximum and
minimum ip the tariff law Of 1905
precipitated torrent of expostulatior
from the free traders. Champ Clark
then leader Of the minority in the
House, declared that. having provided
Internationally high rates of duty or
imports, the majority had deliberately
provided for horizontal elevation o
the rates by 25 per cent, which wai
protection gone !mad. The clause wa
necessitated by numerous foreign dis
examinations against American exports
but its action was 30 effective that th'
maximum rates were never applied
under 1t. Within a few days after tn,
world had received notice Of the max
imum and minimum provision, all dis
elimination against American export
had ceased and every nation promised
to be good. So the minimum rates, tn,
rates in the law itself, were the only one
ever applied. And despite the campaign
of fslshood directed against the Payne
Aldrich tariff law, the average az
valorem rate Of duty on all import
under that law was under 20 per cent
while the Wilson. German law enacte,
under Cleveland was a fraction over Q
per cent.
The maximum and minimum ha
proved its worth in the past, and it |
too good persuader to scrap in thes
days of int tense competition 70
markets"