The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1921-09-02
F0RDNEY TARIFF
AID To MARKETS
Americas Business Will De-
velOP Under Law, Ex-
perts Assert.

Washington, Aug 27-One OF the
outstanding features of the Fordney
tariff bill is its provisions to pro-
mote the sale of American goods in
foreign countries. This is provided
for in the reciprocal provisions of the
bill, which are more liberal than in
any tariff bill yet enacted.
One of the strongest provisions con-
fers authority on the President to re-
duce all rates and duties 20 per cent
in return for similar favors granted
to the United States by any foreign
country This particular section con-
tains no restrictions whatever upon
the President. 1t does not require
his bargaining with foreign countries
to be ratified by the Congress Any
reciprocal agreements the President
may make undr this provision are
permitted to remain in operation for
period of five years. Under anoth-
err section the President is given COM
plete authority to take retaliatory ac-
tion against nations which impose dis
criminatory duties or embargoes up
on American goods. Discriminatory
duties are defined as duties, which.
in comparison with tariffs in this
country on the same products, are
higher and reciprocally unequal and
unreasonable.
The President is granted other
powers, subject, however, to ratifica-
ton by the Congress, but which
nevertheless are powers which lead
to negotiations and trade agreements
with foreign countries. One of these
provisions empowers him to nego-
tiate commercial treaties which pro-
vide not only for reduction of duties,
but for the complete elimination of
duties on specified articles. Two
provisions deal especially with trade
relations with Canada and empowers
the President to negotiate trade
agreements with Canada
The other special provisions look
ing to trade agreements with foreign
countries include stipulatiOns that
retaliatory duties on coal are to be
imposed on nations which levy such
duties on American coal. The Ford
ney bill puts coal upon the free list,
but makes this provision for re-
taliatory duty equal to any duty le-
We'd upon American coal, because
Canada at present has tariff against
United States coal, while coal from
Canada is admitted into the United
States free. This does not affect the
Eastern coal operators, but it is of
vital importance to the American
coal operators in Washington, who
are compelled to compete in their
home markets with Canadian coal,
brought in free from Vancouver,
while they are denied the opportuni-
ty of free competition in the Canadian
markets. Another provision deals
with automobiles and is directed
principally at France, Italy and other
European countries which have i'm
posed very high tariffs on American
cars, thus hindering the developing
of the American automobile industry
abroad. Still another provision deals
with South American countries which
have raised a very high tariff against
American canned goods. In both of
these latter instances ii is believed
trade agreements will be quickly ne
gotiated whereby the excessive duties
now imposed against American pro-
ducts in foreign count'tes will be re-
moved in return for lowering of the
rates proposed in the Fordney tariff.