Gunnison news-champion., 1921-06-24
EMERGENCY TARIFF COMES
TOO LATE TO FULFILL
ORIGINAL PURPOSE
tr.ts CITY Druvers Telegram


Kansas City Druyers Telegram
The emergency tariff bill hss be-
come a law. At last the stable door
is locked. The horse was stolen, 10,
those many months ago.
More than a year ago IL was rccog-
niZcd that a grave emergency existed.
an emergency that called for prompt
legislative action, II the vast products
Of American farms were To be saved
from destructive competition in their
legislative home markets. Wool from
Australian sheep ranches was being
brough. in to ill the warehouses OF
American manufacturers while the
American wool growers saw the
prices for their wool going rapidly
below the cost of production. Cheap
vegetable oils were coming from
abroad to drive down the price Of
American dairy products by furnish
ing the materials 10 be used as sub
stitutes for these products. Frozen
lamb by the ship load from Australia.
and equally great SUPPLIES of meat
from the andpodcs were playing havoc
with the prices received by the pro-
ducers Of live stock without giving
any relief to the consumers Of meat.
VI neat from As.aaAAaAai Ns4~ ullNtAlE ohFlA
the price of the great staple pro-
duct of the middle western farms to
lower and lower levels. II was q
grave emergency that threatened the
markets for the farm crops of 1920
and called for prompt measures to
save the farmers from financial stress
and ruin.
Six months have passed since Con-
gress began to consider the emergency
and TO put forth their efforts to form
ulate q tariff bill to meet the emer-
gency. After running the gauntlet
OF insufficient information, of polite
al preiudices and the various schemes
of political leaders, some of these
schemes probably not yet disclosed,
the bill has emerged as full fiedged
emergency tariff law to be in full
effect and TO serve as a protective
measure to American farm products
for a period of six months The law
begins operation too late to be OF
much benefit to American crops of
1920, whatever damage to the mar
ket for that crop that competition
from foreign produce has already
been done; the law will cease to be in
operation att the expiration of SIX
months, too early to be of much bene-
Fl. to the crop of 1921.
Aside from these considerations
there has arisen grave consideration
as to the soundness of the principles
of n protective tariff for American
products. Intelligent and thoughtful
farmers everywhere are asking them
I selves questions about the tariff bill
whether or not it may prove to be
1 hinderance to free foreign market
/ for the surplus Of the products of
American farms. The same question
has been bothering Congress in It's
considerance for a permanent tarifi
I bill and the leaders in tariff legisla-
| ton have been considering the ques-
i ton carefully.
II is remarkable how impersonal
has seemed to be the position taken
by the average American farmer in
regard to tariff legislation. He has
not gone wild in his demands for tar
| iff legislation, much as he might be
convinced that the measure was the
only way in which he could be put on
an equal footing with the protected in
dustries of the country for the time
being. Neither has he been heard to
demand high rates on agricultural
products in the permanent tariff bill
/ His stand when reduced to simplified
terms is easily stated. If a high tar.
iff is good thing when applied to
the things the farmer must buy as
consumer, then high tariff is a
4 good thing on the things the farmer
has to sell as a producer. II q low
tariff is a good thing on the things
| the American farmer has to sell, ther
low tariff is a good thing on the
things he has to buy.
The American farmer is not seek.
ing special consideration in tariff leg
islation; he would not be singled oui
for special favors; it is his purpose 4
ask THAT the farmer receive .equa
consideration with all other classe!
in the building Of the tariff policy
that is to be enacted into the new tar
if law under which America must liv'
and do business in the immediate fu
ture. The operation Of the energenc,
Law will be watched therefore, witt
more than passing interest. It ma,
| teach some valuable lessons to guild
IN the formation Of the pernanen
k~~s1 S&n1fav