New-York tribune., 1921-01-15
Auto Men Ask /
l5P.C. Cutin
Tariff Rate
Industry's Plea for R.
duction to 80 Per Cenf
Ba sis in Republic.r,
Bill Before .Committee
Called Aid to Europe
Senate Body Tacks On Three
Amendments to Fordney
Measure; Wheat Affected
From The Trioune's washsnoto. s....

From The 7ribune's Washington sur...
WASHINGTON, Jan. 14.-A departn,a
from the attitude in which the ;nar.
tries of the country have been ..
preaching the House Committee or
Ways and Means, working on re.
vised schedule Of tariff duties for IL.
Republican tariff bill to be reported =.
the next session, was established IA.
day by the automobile industry.
Acting through J. Walter Drak.
chairman of tbs foreign trade commit.
tee of the National Automobile Cham.
ber of Commerce, the automobile man.
ufacturers to-day asked the House com.
mittee Tor a reduction from IS ner
cent to the basis of 80 per cent nov
prevailing in the duty affecting their
product. A national policy of recpro-
cal relations and no further increases
in the aluminium tariT also were advn-
Gated.
This policy, predicted exclusively in
The Tribune, is based on the belief
that decrease will stimulate foreign
production and aid other nations TO
get on their feet Such step. said
Mr.. Drake in his communication to the
committee, also will help those coun.
tries to build up a buying power, and
consequently promote our foreign com.
merce.
Would Prevent Foreign Reprisals
''The National Automobile Chamber
of Commerce holds to the principle
that the policy proposed" continued
Mr.. Drake, "should apply to the pro-
tective tariff in such way as to pre-
vent discrimination by foreign nations
in fact as well as in theory, and to
provide revenue for the nations needs
1t is recognized that higher rates may
be essential to some American indus
tries, but we believe that through PEN
atty clauses in our tariff the govern
ment will be in a position to bring
about desired exchanges much more
rapidly than it can at present"
The position of the industry against
a further increase in the tariff rates
on aluminium is based on the ground
that further increases in price will COM
pei the automobile manufacturer, who
is the largest individual user of alum
mum, to turn to substitutes. The use
benefit of the automobile user, it was
pointed out, as reduction of running
costs would follow the manufacture Of
lighter machines.
Loeb Suggests Revision of Rates
The principal witness to- day before
the committee was William Loeb IT,.
former Collector OF the Port of New
York. who represented the American
Smelling and Mining Company at the
hearing.
Mr. Loeb was asked by Chairman
Fordney if, based on his experience for
years as collector, he believed it DOE
sible for the Republican Congress to
produce workable tariff schedule un-
der present-day conditions of exchange
and the uncertainties of the labor mar
ket at home and abroad. He also was
asked if he favored tariff wall to
shut out all competitive imports.
Mr.. Loeb told the committee that he
did not believe the Payne-Aldrich bill
could be revived to meet modern con-
ditions. He said that all the factors
influencing the framing of such q
measure have changed and suggested
that all the rates in the old tariff bill
would have to be revised.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 14.-Three
amendments were tackled on the Ford
ney emergency tariff bill by the Sen
ate, Finance Committee to-day in its
first days consideration in executive
session, after the recent public hear
ings on the measure. After the COM
mittee had voted, 10 to 4. to open the
bill to amendments, Senators Calder,
Republican, of New York, and Jones,
Democrat, of New Mexico, got pro-
visions through which materially
broadened the scope of the MEASURE,
and Senator McCumber, Republican, Of
North Dakota. obtained acceptance OF
q higher import duty on wheat.
The McCumber amendment would
fix a tariff on imported wheat of 40
cents a bushel, instead of the cents
carried by the bill as it passed the
House. Senator Calder's amendment
would add dairy products TO the .s'
already protected, establishing
tariff of six cents a pound on butter
and cheese and their substitutes, snd
two cents and FIVE cents gallon on
fresh milk and cream. respectively.
Under the Jones amendment, the i'm
port duty on hides carried on the
Dingley tariff law would be restored
as part OF the Fordney measure for
he <a,