Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-11-02
The recent tariff bill has been Civ

The recent tariff bill has been CIV
en- consideration, not only by local
Southern industries but by national
industries interested in similar pro-
ducts and it gives us pleasure to now
hand you the list Of the organiza-
tions with their pronouncements up
on the nature and effect of this tar
if measure.
The text Of the statement given to
the press attacking the Democratic
Naional Committee for its opposition
to the Fordney-McCumber tariff is
as follows:
The Southern Tariff Association,
which recognizes the tariff question
as an economic issue only and one
that vitality affects the productive in
dustry of the South deplores a sit
uation which forces this purely bus
mess question to become the football
Of politics.
"The thoughtful element of both
political parties is responsible for the
schedule adopted in the present tar
iff measure. While we are indebted
to the Republicans for giving us the
bill as whole, yet without the as
sistance Of Southern Democrats
many of the important items in the
bill, some of which are most vital
to Southern farmers, would have
gone on the free list.
"Since every man who is worth
anything to his community must pro-
duce more than he consumes, tar
if based upon the principle of en-
couraging production is sound econ.
omically and it is to be de-
plored that the Democratic Nation
al Committee should base its cam
pagn upon policy of discrimina-
ton against the producer. We not
only challenge the craftsmanship of
their position, but deny the accuracy
Of their charge. The claim is made
that the measure is costing the in
dividual consumer an average of $45
per capita, while it would be more
nearly in line with the truth to say
that it would mean that much in add
ed prosperity per capita But, regard
less cf any slight increase or de-
crease in the individual wealth Of
our consumers, the big, broad view
pcint IS to consider the producers
interest. There is wide path being
cut from the farm to the city each
year by those who have become dis
couraged in trying to wrest Il living
from the soil and this pilgrimage
from the producing to the consum-
ing centers of our national life is the
greatest challenge that could be
made to the craftsmanship Of the
age.
UNLESS the interest of the produc-
'er is conserved, there will come
day when there will be no producer
and when we are totally dependent
upon foreign countries for our
products, even the most optimistic
free trader cannot expect that our
plight will not be taken advantage of
to the fullest extent. No citizen is
fool enough to believe that our i'm
pCrters are philanthropists. We ali
know that they are in business for
profit.
"The statement is made by the
Democratic National Committee that
mems wooden clothing will be higher
this fall than it was last fall. The
Committee has evidently forgotten
that the emergency tariff act was in
effect last fall, carrying higher rate
Of duty on wool than the present
measure contains. Under the emer-
gency tariff act operating at that
time, wool carried duty of AS cents
per pound, while it only carried 81
cents in the present law.
Answering the plea of the com
mittee that wool should be on the
free list, the Southern Tariff Asso-
citation points to the tariff act of
1898 when this product went on the
free list and as result the sheep
industry was swept off the plains of
the South and West. There's not
sheep man living now who exper-
fenced that terrible disaster who will
ever forget the devastating influence
of the bill which killed the industry
almost overnight. All who have
memories will recall that when the
domestic production of wool was an
initiated and a protective levy "for
revenue" was laid on manufactured
articles, the price of wooden clothing
end blankets went up.
"Any discussion of the tariff ques-
ton which is based upon the view
point of the consumer alone and dis
regards the needs of the producers is
shortsighted and unstatesmanlike !
and should have no place in the of
fetal literature of any political party
or organization"
PUMP ENGINE RECON-