Norwich bulletin., 1921-12-01
PRESIDENT MAY TAKE HAND
 IN TARIFF LEGISLATION

Washington. Nov. s0-President Hard ing has been urged to take a strong stand in his address to the new congress next week in behalf of pending tariff legis- lation. Confidence was evidenced among many congressional leaders today that the power of the executive would be put behind the bill which now reposes with the senate financial committee.
 The suggestion was said to have been made to Mfr. Harding that he recom- mend, in the interest of speedy disposi- ton Of the measure. the elimination of the American valuation plan from the house bill and the writing of tariff law on the basis of the old method of invoice prices. He was understood to have been urged to ask congress then to include in the bill a provision empowering the 1 executive to apply the American valua- l tion basis of assessing duties where, aft CT surveys. it iss shown that added pro- lection is needed.
 l Another suggestion reported to have been given MT. Harding was that the house bill provision regarding anti-dump-
 ing be stricken out and a law descrb- i ed as having teeth.' be enacted supple mentary to the tariff
 | X division of opinion among the repub- l lican senators was said to exist as to the merits and practicabi.ity of the Ameri- can valuation plan and it was under stood this situation had been outlined to the executive.
 | Some republican members of the fin. ance committee declared today that even l with a call by the president for more speed. there could hardly be a tariff law before March. One asserted 1t would bs the middle of May before the bill finally becomes a law.
 A..- measure was based On the set of cir. cumstances suggesting the building o1 rates on the American valuation basis I It was stated that the gathering of in. formation on productions costs ant l wholesale selling prices by the Urea sur ' upon which the rates are to be compslt | ed by the committee could not be com p,cted under three weeks or month ] After that data is In the committed, hands, it was declared, some time vii
 elapsA- before the actual drafting o
 rates can be accomplished because of tn
 intricacies of the home value basis
 The suggestion that separates legisla
 tion be enacted giving the executive au
 thoritv to impose the American valuation
 basis in cases where additional protec
 tion was found necessary, was said t
 embody a plan for making custom dutIe
 variable to meet f1uctua ton of the de
 preciated currency of exporting coun
 tries.
 Those who advanced the plan hold tha
 the fixing of ta riff duties at any defnit
 figure in the present disorganized stat
 of international currencies would mak
 it impossible adequately to protect tn
 American. industries and labor from com
 petition since the low prices of foreig
 money allows goods to be purchas SC
 abroad In American dollars at far belo-
 costs in American markets.
 It was proposed, therefore. that tn :. president. presumably through the tari commission. be given power To determin to what degree the currency of give
 country has depreciated, to what exter the fact has made American producer unable to compete with its imported pro ducts, and to fix the import duty at , percentage which will to some degre E equalize these disadvantages. At tf } same time, similar goods from cour try with stable currency and undistor
 ed production costs would be allowed come in al lower rates.
 Carefully worked out estimates of II { effects to be anticipated under operation
 of the plan have been submitted to Pre- : ident Harding The American valuatit s system. also advanced to meet the iuc f uating currency values at present eI e countered, would fix the level of dut
 not on cost price to the importers, bl B upon the value of similar products pr I duced in the United States, on Amer - can markets at the moment of import y ton.