Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-02-20
COMMERCE AID
SAYS TARIFF BILL
|SSU|C|DAL BLOW
If Measure Becomes Law,
Would Prove Disastrous,
Says E.. F. Sweet. =
WILL INCREASE COST
OF LIVING If ENACTED
Opponents Employ Every Par
liamentary Maneuver to Tic
1t Up for at Least 48 Hours.
Iny Associated press.I

WASHINGTON. Feb. I5.-Enact-
mcnt of the Fordncy emergency tariff
bill would constitute Il Suicidal
blow" at American commerce. Edwin
+. Sweet. Assistant Secretary OF Com
mcrce. declared today in statement
II the measure becomes law; Mr..
Sweet said, retaliatory tariffs are GER
tain to be imposed by all the more
important countries. including Can
ada and many of the South American
states.
Nothing could bc more disastrous
at this time than such a law" the
secretary declared. Instead Of bring
ing relief to farmers OF the country.
II will increase the cost of living to
every one and in the end react against
the farmers by cutting off foreign
markets for American products. which
are the present backbone of the farm
industry.
Snys Would lie Folly.
1T is folly to imagine we are self
sufficient enough IL get aloEv with
cut foreign trade and nothing short OF
criminal to cut or the commerce. par
t!cniarly with South Americ9n coun-
tries, built up during the war.
because American goods are bet
ter ir quality than those sold IN South
America before the war. erican
merchants have been able thus far to
retain the trade. despite the handi-
cap Of having to utilize foreign ships
for transport. Blu; we cannot Halter
ourselves that tho"e countries will
continue to buy American goods IL we
Ian their products from our shores"
House supporters OF the Fordnrv
emergency tar:T bill pushed It over
another bill today In It's progress
through Congress. where 1t has been
"a storm center since the middir of
llGcemher. By vote of $50 70 l32,
they overcame a parliamentary nl1ck-
a6c set Tp ny DIRECTORS AMI tuned
the measure over to conferen com.
Ipttecs to thrash oiit differences be :
twee n the House and Senate.
VIII Discuss Amendments.
The twenty-odd amendments tackled
on by the Senate will be discussed
In the conferences, Monday upon the
return OF Chairman Fordney, of the
House Ways and Means Committee,
from his visit to President Elect
Harding at st. Augustine. Although
opponents of the bill were prepared
for battle In the conference. the
majority leaders limited they would
attempt to shove the bill through and
take II back TO the House i'm the form
In which it passed the Senate.
Opponents OF the tariff had en-
aloyed every parliamentary mahcuver
at their command to tie IL up i'm the
last forty-eight hours, but they went
down to defeat before the superior
numbers on the Republican side OF
the House. They believe, however.
that several opportunities yet remain
10 side track the measure House
Democratic leaders were understo God
to have appealed to some Of the
Democratic Senators to help them in
soiidifying their lines.
Debate in the House. where sun
porters of the bill sought to send 1t
no conference and opponents tried to
force reference to tho ways and
means committee. developed little
new argument. There was, however,
more use by opponents of the claim
that the tariff would mean higher
cost OF living. Supporters defended
II entirely on the plea that the farm
erS must have speedy relief