The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-07-06
Chairman FOrdney Would Make
New American Standard.
Tariff Bill Accompanied by Full
Committee Report.
DISREGARD FOREIGN MARKET
Put All Imports ON Common
Basis Is New Plan.
Gives President Power to Bar
gain With Other Nations.

Washington, July "a tariff law
which would become the magma
charta for the perpetuation of our
American standards of living and be
the constitution of a uniform and uni
versal prosperity" was the goal which
! the Republican members of the house
ways and means committee set for
| themselves in drafting the administra-
| tons permanent tariff bill, says a re
port filed with the house today by
| Chairman Fordney. With the report
the bill was formally presented in the
same form it was introduced last week.
The report was unsigned but Mr..
Fordney said he understood all Re-
publican members of the committee
| except Representative Frear of Wis
consin were ready to affiX their names
to it. Mr.. Frear made public last
night a minority statement attacking
the dye control and other provisions.
/ Democratic members of the commit
tee will meet late today to draft
minority report which probably will
be presented tomorrow.
Encourage American Industry.
Republican leaders will seek at a
| conference of all Republican members
tonight to reach an agreement as to
procedure and methods of handling
the bills in the house. The report is
presented by Chairman Fordney who
said the committee members in draft
sire to encourage American industry
without at the same time saddling
upon the American consumer any I'M
necessary burden.
Discussing protection against antici-
pated inroads of German competitors,
the report said the Germans had
open to them only the American mar
kets into which they could go with
! methods "as ruthless and as destruc-
tive" as ever had been known in COM
merce.
Concerning news print the report
said
The paper schedule removes from
the dutiable list wood pulp of all kinds
and standard news print, the designa-
ton of standard news print is a new
term, but thoroly understood both in
trade and in the customs offices.
American consumption of both
pulp and standard news print is great
ly in excess of our production. Suf-
flcient authority is given the president
to protect American interests should
any discrimination be shown against
| us by foreign nations"
Adopt Our Own Policy.
| Adoption of the policy of American
valuation-basing the duties on the
value of commodities in American
rather than foreign market-was
to eliminate the long established
practice of fraudulent under valua-
tion," and for the further reason that
no other method of establishing a
stable basis for duties was found. 1t
was argued that regardless of fluc-
tuations in the foreign market values
all imports would enter American
markets on even terms.
With the exception of cabinet
woods, on which small" ad valorem
duty was imposed logs and lumber
in general are placed on the free list"
the report declared. The tax of 81
thousand of fir, spruce and western
| hemlock logs, it said, was imposed to
place premium on fair treatment
| by other countries.
| The provision authorizing the pres
ident to proclaim a retaliatory tariff
on finished lumber against any coun-
| try taxing American products was de-
| clared to be in harmony with other
bargaining provisions of the bill.
| THE proviso, it is believed" the re-
port said, will have a beneficial eff
feet on the export trade of finished
lumber
Keep Cotton Schedule Low.
| OF the cotton schedule the report
said that while some increase had
| been made on duties on luXuries, it
| had made a special effort to provide
a moderate rate upon articles of neces-
| sity made from cotton which are used
largely by people of small or moderate
means.
| Reductions have been made along
! these lines" it said, with the result
| that the schedule taken as a whole
| presents lower rates than any previous
| protective measure"
The paragraph providing for con-
| tinuation of the duty on sugar i'm
i posed by the emergency tariff bill was
| declared by the report to be one of
| the most important in the bill.
| The report said that the duty on
clothing wool had been fixed at IS
| cents a pound on a secured content
basis, a plan advocated by wool grow
ers for years, and added:
| 1.-THE compensatory duty on manu-
| features of wool has been kept down
by the committee to the lowest point
| consistent with the principles of pro-
| tection.''
| Agricultural Tariff Normal.
The agricultural products schedule
was described as IAN all American
| tariff on a normal basis.''
I'm the rehabilitation Of our indus
| tries" the report said, 1.-The products
of agricultural industry in which some
| thirty million of our people are en-
| gagged, are entitled to protection on the
| same basis as those of other indus
| tries
The tariff It said. seldom would be
| added to the price of farm products,
except under unusual crop or market
conditions.
your committee is of the opinion,
the report said, that no tariff duties.
| no matter how high, can meet the
condition that would arise when Ger
many again is in a position to force
her dye and dyestuffs on American
markets-utterly INSCRIPTIONS as the
| great German dye syndicate was be-
| fore the war when its supremacy was
| uncontested-it now will attack all
competitors with reckless disregard of
| business decency.'