Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-04-07
~ the Expense Of the People

T HE work OF rewriting the more than
100000 rates in the Fordney tariff
piii hhaily has been completed by the Sen
ale Finance Committee Republicans. and
chairman McCumber Is hopeful that the
bill can be completed by Saturday. The
big question remaining before the com
m'ttee is that of the valuation principle to
be written into the measure The ad va
lorcm rates. now contained in the hill.
have been calculated on the basis Of r,'-
eiEn va luation, hut whether this will u..
approved finally remains To he determined.
Whatever may he the action OF the copl-
mittec on the valuation principle. bitter
ana. perhaps, prolonged fight over it will
be prccipitated when the bill comes up for
consideration on the floor Of tho Senate. a
bloc has been formed in the Senate 10 make
sure of the adoption Of the American valua-
tion plan of the bill as sent up Ivy the
House. This bloc AT the present time num-
bcrs twenty-five Republican Senators. 1t
includes in its membership most OF the
members OF the farm bloc which has been
so severely criticized. Just how many
Democratic Senators will join with this bloc
in support Of the American valuation plan
is as yet undetermined. but certainly a suf-
fCient number TO make the fight interesting
1t is considered practically certain that
the committee will report against that plan
substituting therefor. the basis for duty
liking, the wholesale selling price OF the
foreign made article. The idea of the new
bloc organization. according to its head.
Senator GoodinG. of Idaho. is that the farm
crS should he. and can be. prot ected. The
farmers want to make sure Of getting all
the protection that is possible by tho added
sop involved i'll the higher valuation pro
vided in the American plan Senators from
the agricultural States in asking for tariff
on products OF the farm SAYS Senator
CoodnS. have been extremely liberal. They
have never asked anything which was not
fair. They believe the time has passed when
the East is the only section which would
be safeguardcd from foreign economic
evasion of tariff and they have been graft
he'd to find that this view is shared by the
manufacturers and producers everywhere
Those interests which have been camouflag
ing their opposition 10 any tariff legislation
by attacking the principle OF American val
uation as basis for ad valorem duties are
in my opinion, not going to succeed with
their anti-American propaganda"
So. the settlement of the question of a
basis of valuation is of the first importance
1t may be accepted that the rates as already
written into the bill will be burdensome to
the country's consumers and a heavy handi-
cap upon our foreign trade efforts. II the
American plan of valuation be adopted
these rates will be still more burdensome.
Admitted that farmers Of the West and
South are entitled to some protection. just
as the manufacturing East has had 1t all
along. yet the fact cannot be concealed
that the only possible protection for any sec
ton or interest is that given to the pro-
tected at the expense of the unprotect ed
who are largely in the majority. The bloc
tc put through the American plan of valua-
ton may win its fight, but it will be at
enormous cost 10 the great mass OF American
people.