The Cordova daily times., 1921-04-07
MUCH NEED FOR ENACTMENT OF
 NEW TARIFFLAW
BY COL WINFIELD JONES

iedoelS pehSFe tudt dS soon as pos sible after the converting of the 1 special session of the next congress Ia protective bill must be enacted. A temporary tariff bill will in all prob ability be passed and signed by the president before the end of April. Meanwhile the house and ways and means committee will labor on the Ipermanent tariff bill
 The temporary tariff bill will close ly follow the schedules of the Payne Aldrich act, and will be drafted with the view to protect American indus try, manufacturing, labor and the farmer until Europe has made defin- 1te progress in recovering from the economic chaos which now exists there as a result of the great war. Until world costs are stabilized. and international exchange is settled on a firm postwar basis 1t is impossible for congress to intelligently enact permanent tariff bill. It is impos- oADAo uhII HQLope SeIIlSS uOWn, economically to secure accurate data which bears on the difference of the cost of production in this country and Iabroad. A tariff without a broad basis of this kind would be practi- cally valueless in the competition of the United States with all foreign exporting nations. The bars of pro- tection under such tariff would be either too high or too low.
 Because of these facts some of the senate leaders believe that the per maneNt tariff bill should not be passed until after the congressional elections of next year, the winners of these elections being the men who will serve in the Sixty-eighth con- gress. Republican leaders are op- posed to any revision of the tariff on the eve of congressional elections. It is certain that it is now impossible to enact a new permanent tariff until conditions in Europe and the re- mainder of the world are changed back to real peace basis.
 Republican leaders in the senate said today that when the permanent tariff bill is brought into the house and senate a united party will be back of the measure. This state ment was made because attention was called to the many differences of opinion that prevailed in both house and senate at the last session over the temporary tariff bill pending then which failed in the closing days of that session in the senate, though the bill got through the house.
 The leaders are practically united on the proposition, however, to enact a temporary tariff measure to protect the United States, as soon as DOS sible after the next session convenes. There is no doubt that this program has been settled upon and will be put through within two or three weeks after the Sixty-seventh congress as sembles.
 Quick action on the temporary tar if, it was pointed out, is necessary to clear the way for the tax reform legislation. The tax bill probably will not be a temporary measure, however.
 Many differences of opinion exist throughout the country concerning the economic ills that now affIict business. This is reflected in the flood of letters reaching congressman daily from every section. Some busi- ness men and manufacturers claim in these letters that the tariff is causing all their troubles, while others say that the present taxes are eating them up, lock, stock and bar rel
 There is some talk in Washington of allowing President Harding to delegate to the U. s. tariff commits sion the power to put temporary tariff rates into effect while congress is framing permanent tariff bill These suggestions will amount to nothing, because congress would never allow such a plan to be put into operation.
 lnterWOven with the tax and tariff problems is the evident intention of big business and the railroads to re- duce wages. The managers of big business and the roads claim that costs cannot be brought to lower levels, and the high cost of living re- duced, until wages are lowered to near the pre-war standards. The proposition has met the bitterly hos tile opposition of union labor, headed [ by the American Federation of Labor and this factor has considerably com plicated an already tangled situation. | The railroads ola i'm tbot Proiorb+ ,,o+ oc