The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-12-22
AMERICAN VALUATION
!. PLAN OF new TARIFF
MEASURE ATTACKED

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22.-Replying
to Chairman Fordney of the ways and
means committee, who earlier in the
day had denounced importers for their
opposition to the American valuation
plan as Incorporated in the tariff bill
pending in the senate, Representative
Oldfield, Democrat, Arkansas, member
Of the committee, declared yesterday
in the house that the proposed import
duty on hundreds of articles under the
American valuation plan would be pro-
hibitive.
THE American people," Mr. Oldfield
said, do not want prohibitive tariff;
no one does except those who would
be specially benefited. I had not
thought until recently that the Repub-
licans would be so foolish as to place
| the American valuation plan in our
tariff law"
Mr.. Oldfield's remarks precipitated a
lively debate with Mr.. Fordney in
which Representative Mann, Republi-
can, Illinois; Tincher. Republican,
Kansas, and others participated.
Doesn't Understand Plan
Mr.. Mann said he had never been
able to understand the American valu-
alton plan and even on the floor of the
house had never heard any, one. in
Guiding the gentleman from Michigan
(Mr Fordney), who did,
Commenting on the enormous profits
which Mr.. Fordney said had been
made on knives imported from Ger
many. Mr.. Tincher said that "if neces-
sary to protect American labor manu-
facturers and consumers from prof.
teers in this country" he favored a
duty of 1000 per cent on some COM
modities
Let there be a few more statements
that the Republicans are in favor of a
tariff duty of 1000 per cent and there
will not be enough Republicans here
10 gather together in one aisle" Mr..
Mann interiected.
IF the Republicans favor the de-
struction of American institutions"
Mr.. Fordney retOrted. they ought to
be put out of this house
Mr.. Oldfeld declared that importers
are rather frightened when they come
before the ways and means commit
tee, because the chairman goes at them
red eyed and abuses them as if they
were not human beings.
Fordney Assais Importers
Charges that importers. through mis-
leading propaganda were attempting to
delay or defeat tariff legislation and
to accomplish this end We're centering
an attack on the American valuation
plan were made by Chairman F'ordney.
who declared that American valuation
was the logical solution of the present
day economic conditions"
Opposition to the pending tariff
measure is readily traced" asserted
Mr.. Fordney. not to the American pro-
Queer, not to the man who deals chiefly
in American made products, but to the
man who produces abroad and the man
whose chief interest is in bringing the
product of cheap foreign labor to the
American market
Those interested in importing en-
terprises are well organized and spend
ing large sums of money in an effort to
make you and me believe that what
they seek is for the country's general
welfare. The importer is working to
delay or defeat tariff legislation and to
accomplish this end he is centering his
criticism on the American valuation
plan without which on account of pres
ent chaotic world conditions it will be
most difficult to write a tariff measure
at this time that will afford the slight
est degree of protection against coun-
tries where protection is most needed"