The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-04-20
Nothing But a Speedy
Application of III e
Tariff Will Save In
dustry in the South,
Ways and M e ans
Committee is Told To-
day-Joint Resolution
is Recommended.

Washington. April 20. Declaring a
flood of cheap imports was wrecking
southern industries and creating an
economic emergency comparable in
its deStructiVeness to any military
emergency the nation ever faced" the
Southern Tariff Association, in me-
mortal presented today to the house
ways and means committee. urged i'm
mediate imposition of u protective
ariff
agriculture" the memorial says.
lies PROSTATE. The statue OF man
facturing industry is not less alarm
7@.' and the mineral industry" is
0 all intents and purposes entirely
imperative.
The association. representing the
l!iiliated agricultural. manufacturing
nd mineral interests OF 81 southern
Industries, asserts this economic
fSas'er' is the consequence of forces
the hardness of whose compact can
nd ought to be softened by the inter.
'ention OF the government" Unless
heSe forces are controlled, the me-
morial continued. 1T Is our firm be-
lief that conditions will become pro-
3ressivey disastrous, with widespread
'
reStlessneSs. y flood OF cheap i'm.
ports is wrecking the markets"
The immediate enactment OF such
tariff schedules las will eQualize the
cost of production in this country
with that of foreign countries and that
will take up the differentials, now
favorable to foreigners. in exchange
and transportation costs" was asked
Of congress.
Schedules of suggested imports
were filed with the committee by each
Of the industries represented Declar-
ing Il was impossible to visualize for
he committee the widespread devas-
alton which has been spread over the
south by the food of imports" the
memorial continued:
NO words can paint the picture
The breakdown in the cotton seed
market alone is known to have taken
more than $4,000 children away from
country schools. In addition other
thousands have been compelled to
withdraw from other institutions of
learning Banks find their commodity
collateral no longer sufficient to guar
antee loans made. Scores of financial
institutions, chiefly serving rural
communities, have been forced to sus-
pend operations Thousands OF farms
have been abandoned. Others are SO
mortgaged that it will be years be-
fore they are released. Innumerable
mines are shut down and tens OF
thousands of men are out OF employ.
mnet. Factories that thrilled with
life a year ago are deserted, or nearly
so. Thousands of cattle, essential to
the national life have been hurried
to the slaughter houses and are being
trekked into foreign territory =
1T Is as if an epidemic, contagious
and Infectious. paralyzing all enter
prises, initiative and progress. had
swept over the land"
Suggesting the passage of a joint
resolution as the quickest method OF
Imposing the protective tariff request
ed the memorial pledged it's signers.
if congress would so act. that we can
and will set the wheels of industry
in the South to moving almost imme-
diately following the granting by you
o. 81 relief we seek"
The members are those who intend
To become active at once. Mines
would reopen and manufacturing
again be in full swing" the memorial
said adding that agricultural leaders
also have time yet to prepare their,
fields for the harvests of this year."
The signers also set forth their in
tention of organizing the entire south
around an American tariff policy to
, aqualize cost of production and main
ain Aemrican standards of living, on
Honomic grounds. irrespective of
! >arty."
Eighteen states are represented In
he Southern Tariff Association; OF
hich John H. Kirby is president.