New-York tribune., 1921-06-27
Leaders Realize Action ON
Fixing Duties Will
Have Direct Bearing in
the Coming Elections
Know Nation Looks
For Busy Factories
Lumber Schedule Reac-
ton Has Made Fordney
and Associates Nervous
BY Carter Field

WASHINGTON, June 26.-The real
test of the Republican party is at hand.
This is almost the universal sentiment
of both Republican and Democratic
leaders with regard to the tariff-tax-
alton program, on which the fireworks
are expected to begin with the report
ing of the tariff bill Wednesday by the
House Ways and Means Committee.
The Harding Administration may go
down in history for what it may ac-
ccmpliah in bringing about disarma-
mcnt, al association of nations or for
the settlement of the Mexican problem,
but in the opinion of practically every
political leader of both parties the
Congress ssional election next year and
the Presidential election of 1924 will
be won or lost by what happens in re-
gard to tariff-taxation legislation.
So keenly is this realized that there
is decided nervousness on the part of
most of the leaders, now that the pre-
liminary skirmishing is about to give
way to the real battle. The primary
aim, of course, in both the tariff and
taxation programs is to bring about a
restoration of prosperity. The old full
dinner pail argument of 1896 is just as
potent to-day, it is realized as it was
IN 1886, and unless the new program
brings about good times and busy fac
torres the Republicans will have hard
shedding in 1924 as we'll as next year.
Fordney Shocked
The nervousness mentioned is a de-
velopment of the last few days. r. is
the result of loud and, to some of the
Republican leaders, surprising outcries
from the country on some of the things
proposed. Chairman Fordney of he
Ways and Means Committee, for in
stance, has been shocked at the unanim
lty of the press of the country in on
posing his plan oe Imposing q 25 per
cent duty on lumber while apparently
putting Lumber on the free list. That
little joker which imposed a similar
duty on the product of country which
imposed duty OH American goods of
the same nature has been talked about
and written about perhaps more than
any schedule in the bill so far.
Most of the lumber imported by
this country comes from Canada.
Very little lumber is exported by this
country to Canada. But Canada i'm
poses 25 per cent duty on lumber.
SO the net result of this little clause
would be to increase the cost of lum-
Der for building purposes in this coun-
try just % per cert and enable the
lumber men to profit to just that ex-
tent.
Fordney's surprise-and that of his
upporters--has been that the old high
tariff advocates, instead So of being
pleased with this maneuver, have been
indignant. They have been more in
especially with their interest sharp
ened by spectacular investigations of
building conditions, than they were in
protecting American lumber.
Gonservationists Stirred
Also, this particular item aroused
anger on the part Of the forest protec-
tion and conservation advocates. Gif-
ford Pinchot has come out with a blast
against it.
"Why not use cheap Canadian lum-
Der, thus permitting American work
men to house themselves more cheaply.
and save American forests % conserya,
tionists demand.
So far the Fordney group has not
thought up any more effective answer
than to say:
why, we are putting lumber on the
free list. There will be no duty unless
some country discriminates against
American lumber"
This instance is cited to show how
easy it is for the leaders to n,isiudge
public sentiment assuming, of course,
that the manifestations so far cor
rectly interpret public sentiment-and.
after all, there is nothing much else by
which to judge it.
Another incident is already history,
and that is the tariff on lemons. Since
the imposition of that high duty, de-
signed to protect the California lemon
growers from cheap Italian lemons
dumped by low steamship freights into
Atlantic Coast ports, there has been a
remarkable outcry from most of the
Atlantic seaboard cities.
Republican leaders have been told
that the Democrats are capitalizing
this direct appeal to the housewife, md
certainly some of the Republican mem
bers of the House from these cities are
worried. There is the more room for
worry because, on account of the very
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