The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1921-06-10
The Stitch In Time.

The Stitch In Time.
Importers of foreign merchandise
who had counted on stocking up with
goods prior to the passage of the Re-
publican permanent tariff law, will be
chagrined to find an obstacle in their
way if the Longworth resolution is
adopted, which it should be-" declared
the Republican congressman. "This
resolution provides that the Ways and
Means committee, when reporting a
bill which imposes any new costums
duties on commodities, may, in its dis
erection, incorporate in such bill an
emergency clause declaring that the
safeguarding of the public revenue
requires the immediate taking effect
of any OF all such customs duties
That is, the duties in the bill as it be-
comes a law shall relate back to the
date of introducing the measure.
"The purpose of such legislation is
to prevent an avalanche of goods from
coming in before the general tariff
law is passed, which would result in
a period of depression in domestic in
dustries, and an immense loss of rev
enue to the Government. For exam
pies, during the interval of five
months elapsing between the report
ing of the revenue bill of 1897, Ga
protective measure superseded the
Wilson-Gorman law and the date of
its effectiveness, imports valued at
S243 600 900 came in. The difference
between the revenue secured from
these imports at the rates actually in
force under the tariff act Of 1894 and
the revenue that would have accrued
at the rates of the act of 1897, had
these been in effect, was about $74,-
000,0
"The Payne-Aldrich revision was
taken up in November, 1908, following
the elections, and was passed in Au-
gust of 1909. During the eight months
ports totaled 4 8,0O0,0 900 compared
with S700,0O0,0 900 for the same eight
months of the previous year, or an
increase of over 35 per cent. There
was a great deal of loose talk indulg-
ed in during the campaign of 1910
accusing the Republican party of being
false to its platform pledge in that it
revised the tariff upward instead of
downward, as, it was alleged had been
promised. That the foreign import
ers had read no such promises into
the 1908 platform is evidenced by the
fact that, comparing the first eight
months of 1908 with the similar per-
iod of 1909, imports of breadstuffs in
creased SO per cent, chemicals 33 per
cent, copper 81 per cent, cotton manu-
features 25 per cent, precious stones
nearly 400 per cent, fiber manufacture
ers 20 per cent, hides 80 per cent,
iron and steel manufacturers 40 per
cent, leather goods 48 per cent, silk
manufacturers 80 per cent, vegeta-
bles 80 per cent, wood manufactures
80 per cent, and manufactures of wool
40 per cent, imports of raw wool in
creasing from $15,000,000 to SAL ,000,-
900. The importers We're laying in
supplies and beating the bill to the
ports.
conversely, there was a falling off
in imports when the present Wilson
Underwood tariff law was under prep
aration. 1t was of course known that
the Democrats would adopt low rates
of duty and greatly enlarge the free
list, consequently the importers hello
up shipments to this country until the
bill had become a law and they coult
take advantage of the reduced Gus,
toms duties.
"The Longworth resolution takes
care of contract by providing that any
person who, prior to the date deter
mined for the enforcement the rates
shall have entered into a contract tt
deliver any article, is authorized ant
empowered to add to the contrac
price of such article so much none!
as will be equivalent to the duty or in
creased amount OF such duty so sub
sequently imposed and he shall bt
entitled to be paid and to sue accord
ingly. France, Italy, Great Britain
Canada, and Australia have methods
of preventing evasion of increased
taxes during the period when such
taxes are being enacted into law, sc
the Longworth resolution is nothing
novel, and no competing nation viii
be justified in protesting against it
The resolution is earnestly supported
by Secretary Hoover, and it SHOULD
pass Congress without serious oppo,
SitiOn."