The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-08-11
PRESIDENT WANTS
ELASTIC TARIFF
Will Not Sign Present Bill
Unless Commission Is
Provided
TARIFF MAKING is
SHARP BARGAINING
Party Lines Ignored When High Rate
For Local Industries Can Be Traded
Fcr-COngressmen See More Votes In
Protection Than Common Voters.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.


Protection Than Common Voters.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Dispatch to The Reformer.
Copyright 1922.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11.-President
Harding will make a fight for a tariff
commission with broad powers lie viii
not sign the pending tariff bill unless
some provision for the future revision of
the tariff along scientific lines is included
| in the measure.
The defeat of the senate finance COM
mittees recommendation of a duty on
hides, which would have increased
| Americas boot and shoe bill, together
with the developments of the last few
days on the sugar schedule, have con
WINGED the executive that elasticity in
the future is necessary or else the friends
of the present tariff will be among the
first to clamor for change as economic
conditions fluctuate.
There has been a great deal of con-
fusing talk about a "non-partisan tariff
board" and again about a scientific
tariff" What Mr.. Harding is aiming At
is to do away with the rightly of tariffs
and an excess of special privilege when
the national welfare may demand elias
ITCHY. The government has q tariff
board, but its data is disregarded accord
ing as political influences have their way.
either in Democratic or Republican tariff
making The vote in favor of free hides
Wednesday was accomplished by the aid
of Is Democrats who voted with % Re
publicans and thus overcame the Opposi-
ton consisting of 10 Republicans and
seven Democrats. This is an instance of
bipartisan tariff making which reflects
tile tendency of the senate to work IN
grOups and blocs irrespective of party
principles. In other words, the most
explicit illustration that has ever been
given of the dangers of tariff making by
congress has Just been concluded. Sena-
tors on both sides of the political aisle
frankly admit that there IS bargaining
and trading in votes. To get the sup
port of a senator from one state who is
interested in a duty on sugar, for in
stance, another senator will promise TO
support the rate on sugar if his colleague
viii help him on the wool schedule.
just Game of Interests.
Thus tariff making is an individual
process with the special interests of each
state or portion of a state influencing
the vote so that the final product of con-
gross is a hodge, odge of bargains AMI
trades which represents the best political
compromise possible and bears no direct
rela ton to the national welfare only a.
accident may make the rates conform TO
the general interest.
Senators in debate frankly concede
that certain schedules will increase the
cost to the consumers of the nation, but
they insist that particular industries
have to be protected or indirectly the
people as a whole win suffer from lack
of employment in basic industries.
Mr. Harding acknowledges the Drinci-
pie of a tariff for protective purposes as
opposed to the Democratic party's idea
of a tariff for revenue only. But it's to
know exactly where protection for the
manufacturer should end and protection
for the consumer begin that makes the
tariff such a complex problem In the
vote for free hides % Republicans de
cided to protect the consumer because of
the belief that increased cost of shoes |
would lose more votes than could pos
sibly be gained for them through the help |
of senatorial brethren from cattle-raising |
states. In other words, they took the |
chance of forfeitlng western SenatOria
votes for schedules in which the eastern |
might be interested. For |
for the eastern senators many |
of the schedules in which they are inter |
ested are already accepted in the bill and |
are out of the way, so the westerners /
suffer by having the wool schedule come |
UP tbNtlIu llt tiu VI luG tdAlh dtbdAt.
Where Public Feels II.
In such a situation where Republi-
cans and Democrats vote together for
free hides, the public gets a clear grasp
of what is involved because the cost of
shoes is universally felt. But many of
the same principles are involved in the
thousand and one products and by-prod-
ucts which enter into the ultimate cost
of production to the consumer but which
the public doesn't comprehend during a
debate on so complicated subject as the
tariff
The need for a tariff commission
whose voice would be heard in congress
and whose recommendations would carry
weight with both political parties has
again and again been urged after tariff
bills had been passed, but no president
has been able TO get more than COM
mission with advisory powers. /
Mr.. Harding wants the congress to
delegate to the chief executive the right /
to proclaim new duties, and he promises |
to follow the recommendations of tariff /
When Mr.. Harding makes
a fight for executive authority to pro-
claim duties he will find congress hest
tant to yield its precious power. It's |
another test of Mr.. Harding's leadership |
with his party and the answer will be |
given within the next month as congress |
is slowly finishing its tariff job