The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1921-11-17
WHY THEY OPPOSE AMERICAN
y VALUATION


1t is not to be expected that for
eign producers win favor any plan for
the Protection of American product
i've industry against the unfair com
petition of foreign products. By "un-
fair" we do not necessarily mean that
there is anything dishonest about it,
but that it is unfair to American in
dustry to be forced to compete on
equal terms with the products of low
er production cost countries. If there
is no Protection against the products
of countries whose wages are a half,
quarter, or a tenth of ours, it is evil
dent that our domestic labor and
domestic production will suffer.
1t is also true that there is an I'M
fair foreign competition arising from
the dishonesty of certain foreign ship
pers and importers of foreign mer-
chandise. Our laws say that the duty
shall be assessed upon the market
value of the imported article in the
country of origin, but, it has been
found that such values have been inn
possible to obtain with any degree of
accuracy and that advantage has been
taken of this fact to undervalue i'm
ports. This has grown into an abuse
of enormous proportions, the United
States Treasury having lost billions of
dollars through such frauds.
The American, valuation system
will prevent these frauds, and that is
one reason why there has been so
much opposition to its enactment. No
crooked importer is in favor of it, that
is certain. No foreign manufacturer
is in favor of it, and that also is GER
tain. Now it happens that certain of
our merchants who are interested in
the great department stores are also
interested in foreign manufacturing
plants and hence they may be con-
sidered in the light of foreign manu-
facturers.
1t must also be understood that the
great department stores reap greater
profits from their imported goods than
from those of domestic production.
They charge practically as much for
goods imported from countries of
lower production costs as from those
IN which such costs more nearly APP
proximate those of our own country.
so they oppose the American valua-
ton, system because, with that system
similar goods from all countries
would pay the same amount of duty,
whereas now they pay much less, the
importers pocketing the difference.
One of the most active firms in OBJ
position to thsA American valuation
system is that of Marshall Field & Co.
Of Chicago, owners of a great depart
ment store and extensive importers of
foreign merchandise. This company
has been sending out a QUESTIONABLE
to members of the National Retail
Dry Gods Association and of the diff.
ferent State Retail Dry Goods Assoc,
iations. Marshall Field & Co., through
their president, and perhaps other
wise, have asked members of these
various associations to oppose the
understand that it is very question
able whether the said company be
longs to any of the State Association.
or to the National Retail Dry Good
Association, and that members of on,
or more such associations have beer
warned against aiding Marshall Fiel,
& Co. in their free lance propaganda
1t is asserted that the said compan,
should not presume to speak for tn
retail merchants of the country, 70
the reason that it has no interest il
common with the average retail me1
chants. AS matter of fact, it ha
been able, through its immense CAP
italizatiOn and its huge organization
to secure trade which otherwise woul
have gone to local merchants
The Michigan Retail Dry Good
Association wrote to Chairman Ford
ney Of the Ways and Means Commit
tee asking him to explain the Amer
e lean valuation system for the benef
Of its members and we have been pei
mitted to see a copy of his letter G
reply, a portion of which appears b
low:
''The Committee held exclusiv
hearings and the testimony quite cor
clusively indicaAted the ability c
foreign countries, especially thOs
with deprecated currency, to mani
8acture competitive products and Sc
the same in the Amrican markets I
far less than American costa"
Elsewhere he states-"Under Il
existing Tariff laws ad Valorem dntiG
are assessed on the values Of the con
modify in the country Of exportatiol
Protection is needed principal
against the country where the produ