Evening star., 1922-04-21
CHARGES DODG|NC
OF TARIFF DEBATE
King Declares Republicans
Plan to Rush Bill Throuuh
Senate.

A charge that the republican
through union of blocs-the agri
cultural and manufacturing-pro
to cut through the administrator
tariff bill without undertaking TO ex-
plain it in detail was made today in
the Senate by Senator King. democrat.
Utah. The senator added that th..
republicans were SO In the habit Of
employing the big stick or having t.
employed that he supposed 1t would
be used in this case.
Senator King expressed disappoiut-
ment that Chairman NcCumber of tho
finance committee, in his opening ad
dress yesterday, had not gone into
the bill in detail, showing how il
|. compared with previous tariff acts.
Instead, he said, Senator McCumber
had delivered lecture to the manu-
facturers of the country, telling them
how they could bring about a return
to prosperity by cutting down their
margins of profit.
Il am glad" the Utah senator said
that the senior senator from North
Dakota has SO much confidence in
these interests which appeared befor.
his committee asking for these extor-
tionate tariff rates"
A protective tariff and reduction in
production costs in this country are
necessary ito reconstruct the COM
mercial bridge across the chasm sep
arating the cost of production in the
United States and abroad" Chair
man McCumber of the Senate financ"
committee declared yesterday IN the
Senate in an address opening debate OIL
the administration tariff measure.
THE gulf separating the cost or
production at home and abroad j.
now so deep and SO wide" said Sena
tor McCumber, that tariffs which
would be sufficiently high TO protect
our markets against the countries Q!
cheapest production would amount to
an embargo against all the rest OF III"
world.
"To reconstruct our commercial
bridge across this chasm two thing
must operate at the same time in tho
United States. First, a protective
tariff law that will bring the cost Of
the foreign product when landed III
the United States to more nearl.
equal the cost of the American prod
uct in our market. Second, such re
duction in the cost of production III
the United States as will more nearly
approach and neutralize the differ
ence in cost between the home and
the foreign DTOQuct
Believe Rates Fair.
I'VE have written our tariff law on
the basis of both revenue and protec-
tion. We believe we have made no
rate SO low that it will compel the
American producer to surrender the
American market TO the foreign pro-
ducer if he exercises proper economy
in the manufacture and marketing Of
III a.
do not believe We have made any
rate SO high az to prevent reasonable
foreign competition.
I'VE have tried to sustain the stand
ard of laborers' wages in the United
States and to maintain their higher
standard of living in this country.
I believing this policy is for the very
best interests of both the producer
; and the consumer. At the same TIM
we have tried to carefully guard the
lie against any unjust charge for the
things which make up their daily
requirements"
Senator McCumber said the nation
was face to face with the problem of
protecting the American standard of
wages and the American standard OF
living.
I'VE are now to answer the ques-
ton whether or not We shall continue
the policy of protection to our Amer
ICdH VI lhaN
policy"
Free Trade Fatal.
ITO continue it means most strin
gent protective system" the senator
continued. "To surrender it. in the
! light of the distress and calamity that
would surely befall the country, is
unthinkable. No matter how ardent Il
free trader one may be. 1 do not be-
| lieve there is one living in the United
States who would dare, if it were i'll
his power. to attempt TO put into op-
Grafton his free trade philosophy to-
| day"
Senator McCumber declared the
real issue in this tariff bill. and the
| only legitimate one, is whether the
f. American market belongs to the
| American producer or whether it be-
longs to the foreign producer" As
| serting that this Congress was piedg-
| ed to the principle of protection To
/ American manufacturers, farmers, and
laborers, the speaker declared that in
reporting the tariff bill the commit
tee had done nothing more or less
| than to carry out this pledge.
Il think we can justly say" he con-
tinued, that never before in any
tariff bill has the interest of agri-
culture received such favorable con-
sideration as in the construction OF
this proposed measure. We have
guarded the interest of the farmer
as much as it is possible for a tariff