Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-05
MIR. HARDING AND THE TARIFF.

Il was announced In a Washington
special OF Saturday that President
Harding, In his message to the Con-
grcss. will specifically urge two items
OF legislation--subsidy for our mer-
chant ships and Tariff law that Will
,dntaln reasonable assurance of per-
niancncy.
Indirect subsidy has been practiced
IN large measure by our government
In the past. bat direct subsidies have
always been fought generally sue
ccssfully. They have been advocated
ON the same grounds Of support so
ia,Ishly urged In behalf OF protective
tnrin nNation-the protection OF
hnmc interests" II will he interesting
a. note how the Congress will receive
a suggestion from tho President that
they bc employed as a means OF re-
NiNtnE our merchant marine interests.
now suffering so severely from she
business depression that has attended
the Harding administration, In vivid
ana painful contrast TO the colorful
partisan promises that wcro such
FEATURE of the campaign preceding
iis inauguration.
~ ..lN.. s....f.a..t lIaratrr
cordlng to report will give first place
in his message to subsidies. It will he
nunv tho less interesting 10 read in
drthn his views upon the tarin. and
tn learn how they viii he received by
the members N Congress. Tho tariff
t sure subject these days. with
many Repuhlican leaders. who do not
so Elocfully and hopefully look upon
proierts for imposing onerous taxa
tlon on the people. for tho benefit Of
spectral interests. as they did years ago,
n 10 said President Harding viii
recommend tarin "on scientific
ilnrs susceptible of accommodating
ua impusltions to the unstable and
thanulra conditions that so frequently
interrupt the regular course Of busi-
ness. nut therc is no doubt that when
ihp WORK ~ making the now tarin
"rpis down 90 hrass tarks." Il will re-
pnse almost exclusively IN the hands
~ ,ho senate nna.cc committee. as
hoe hoen the case Tor wears and years
And that under the capable guidanc,
OF senator rrnrosc ~ Pennsylvania
chairman ~ that committee. all IN,
special interests viii have their day
in court. 10 present their claims. and
ihal some ~ them may even be per
mltiod io write tho schedules In which
thry have the deepest business inter
vHi, procedure not altogether un'
known M the history of protcctiv,
taun construction 10y Republican
'NNNfHH W NHhN tNitf ~
nui what will interest the peopl'
most h tho line uf definite procedur,
recommended by President Hardin.
ana followed hy the tariff thinkers o
the senate finance committee Tn,
speeial session Of Congress In iis earl
daYs was confronted with the deman,
fof an Emergency Tariff law. and !
WaH lnrrrly shaped 10y what is calle,
The agricultural bloc" In each brancl
~ tho Congress, Tor the purpose O
building up. hy heavy tariff taxation
the farming interests which were SUI
ivrlnr ao aevercly from low price,
iui with dollar plus--and very littl
rlus--wheat and GO-cent corn ruin
the markets. today. the distracte
inrmers fail Co see how the Emergenc
Tarin law has impaired the slfghtes
hcncnt to their suffering business.
u II admitted by the chief manu-
facturers OF this disappointing an
disturbing Emergency Tariff law tina
II IN but "a temporary measure. an
that q was not supposed 20 have ar
enduring qualities that would tend
improve the lamentable business cor
ditions which have so long mark,
this first Republican administration
eight years. Then the natural que
ton arises: Why was il enacted
And more pertinentiy: Why was the
any attempt az tariff tinkering e
pccIaliy In such bungling. inefficie
manner?
The people VIII be apt 10 rememb
that under the Underwood Tariff Ia
enacted during the carly months
the Wilson administration. busine
progressed finely. Throughout I
country there was not the slightc