The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-12-03
Republicans Working
Hard For Tariff
Leaders Call on President To
Exert Executive Influence
For Bill

Washington, nov. oV.-f 1881
dent Harding has been urged to
fake q strong stand in his address
TO the new congress next week In
behalf of pending tariff legislation.
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 I'M
ance committee.
The suggestion was said to have
been made to Mr.. Harding that ne
recommend. in he interest OF
speedy disposition 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 IN
voice prices. He was understood
to have been urged to ask congress
then to include in the bill pro-
vision empowering the executive
to apply the American valuation
basis of assessing duties where, af-
ter surveys, it is shown that added
protection is needed.
Another suggestion reported to
have been given Mr.. Harding was
that the house bill provisions re-
gArding anti-dumping be stricken
out and a law described as "hav-
ing teeth be enacted supplement
tary to the tariff.
A division Of opinion among Re-
publican senators was said to eX-
ist as to the merits and practical
bility of the American valuation
plan and it was understood this
situation had been outlined to the
executive.
Some Republican members OF
the finance committee declared
that. even with a call by the pres
ident for more speed, there could
hardly be a tariff law before
March. One asserted it would be
the middle Of May before the bill
finally becomes a law.
The suggestion that separate leg
islation be enacted giving the exc
cutive authority to impose the
American valuation basis in cases
where additional protection was
found necessary, was said to en-
body a plan for making custom
duties variable to meet auctuation
OF the deprecated currency OF eX-
porting countries.
Those who advanced the plan
held~that the fixing Of tariff duties
at any definite figures in the pres
ent disorganized state of internat-
ional currencies would make it i'm
possible to adequately protect
American industries and labor
from competition, since the low
price Of foreign money allows
goods to be purchased abroad in
American dollars at far below costs
in American markets.
It was proposed therefore that
the president, presumably through
the tariff commission, be given
power to determine to what de-
gree the currency Of given coun-
try has deprecated, to what extent
llic ttlCI IlCs> ItlIIot G4ttlSItCSIII pEO-
,, ducers unable to compete with it's
imported products and to fix the
import duty at a percentage
, which will to some degree equalize
these disadvantages, At the same
time similar goods from a country
| with stable currency and undis-
torted production costs would be
allowed t6 come in at lower rates
Carefully worked out estimates
of the effect to be anticipated IN
der operation OF the plan have been
submitted to President Harding.
The American valuation system,
also advanced to meet the fluctuat-
ing currency values ct present en-
countered, would fix the level Of
duty not on cost price to the i'm
porters, but upon the value of SIM
liar products produced in the Unit
ed States on American markets at
the moment Of importation.