Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1922-03-28
INDIANA C0NGREs SMAN AND 7HERNOS
PRESIDENT ADDRESS NORWICH MEN

L
len rests upon the advocate Of a law SO
Il variance with correct principles to
produce substantial argument to sus-
tain It.. The advocates of foreign vAlu-
ations nave offered no argument They
have been content to muddy the water
and make good their y ape
Speaking AS DEMOCRAT.
As democrat, am content to base
my advocacy OF American valuation up
up the correct principle Of equal taxes
upon equal values or, as we love to ex-
press It equal and exact justice to all |
and special privileges to none" If |
We're tempted to play favorites in legis-
latlon as no democrat ever really is, I
would not by tariff taxes increase the |
natural handicap of countries paying [
higher wages by laying the heavier bur
den OF taxes on imports Of equal value |
from countries paying lower wages. /
II Is argued by advocates Of foreign |
valuations that we should make il easy
for nations recently associated with US |
In war to pay their debts to us in mer-
ehandise. It 50 happens that our former |
associates who owe us money are the |
nations paying the higher wages Tariff |
duties based on foreign valuations, |
therefore. discriminate against their |
goods at American custom houses, and |
tend to give our market for imports over
wholly to the low wage countries that
were not our associates and that owe us
no money.
If were an advocate Of a protective
tariff. I would find it difficult to be pa
tient with those paragraphs in the litera-
ture Of the advocates of foreign vaiuh-
tons in which they protest their DEATH
less allegiance to the protective principle
In tariff legislation. They stoutly aver
that they favor liberal protective rates
based on foreign valuations Of
course, the men who prepare this 1itera-
ture know full we'll that a protective
rate based on foreign valuations is a
contradiction Of terms.
Advocates OF a protective tariff agree
| that THE true principle of protection is
best maintained by the imposition of
such duties as win equal the difference
| between cost of production at home and
| abroad" In protective measure, duties
need TO be higher as against countries
paying lower wages and might safely be
lower as against countries paying higher
wages. A rate based on foreign valua-
| tiens reverses the process, making duties
higher on goods from countries paying
higher wages and lower on goods from
| countries paying lower wages
| cannot understand tile mental pro
cesses Of man who prociaims himself an
orthodox protectionist and declares in
favor of liberal protective rates, but in
sists that they shall be based on foreign
valuations. 1t is stating his case mildly
| to say that he is INDUCING in the Tux
| nry of loose thinking" in a confusion
OF ideas and in contradiction of terms.
In effect. he favors the punishment OF
our foreign competitors whom we need
not fear and rewards for those who may
at will take over t. themselves the cream
Of the American markets.
Possible of Administration.
The final objection to American vaiua-
tion is that it viii be dificult to admin
lister. 1t will require earnest and con-
Hctentious endeayor by the customs off,
Gals, but they say that the law is capa-
bic of effective administration. 1t Ger
Ikainly will be vastly easier to acquire
and keep current a knowledge OF the
American markets than to acquire and
keep current knowledge Of the markets
Of the many nations with which we are
in commercial relations. Tax laws are
not divided into those easy of adminis-
tration and those difficult of administra-
ton They are divided into those possl-
bic Of administration and those that are
impossible, and the foreign valuations
| statute belongs to the latter Glass;
That reminds me that the present law
as to values in foreign markets is no,
administered as it is written Except in
rare cases. no attempt is made to learn
and apply foreign market values I'm
L porters present invoices prepared by for
eign manufacturers and duties are cal.
culated upon them. Possibly most in
voices are correct Certainly, many ars
+ not. How much money is annually los
to the treasury by differentiation or
false invoices no one may ever know II
assuredly runs into many millions of dol
lars, robbing the public treasury and Civ
ing to a dishonest importer an unfair
advantage over his honest competitors
Under. foreign valuations. each imDortej
Is practically the arbeter Of his own case
] Present Characterization Robs Treasury
: Former Secretary of the Treasury Les
lie VI. Shaw has estimated that the los,
t Ito Slle federal treasury by under-valua
tiouA is never less than one hundred mil
lions of dollars per annum and some
times reaches hve hundred millions l
. is certain that the loss is very great J
1 fraud upon the federal treasury is al
: ways wrong against the remaining tax
j, payers. 1t is more distinctly an injur,
I to them now, when the needs OF the gov
! eminent are SO great that every cen
. withheld at the custom house must b
: made good by direct taxation upon tn
] public Making good the loss presents
! difficult problem since rates Of direc
. taxation have already sbeen raised s.
9 high that increased rates are bringing
E diminished revenues.
c AS substitute for the present Law
which provides for innumerable foreigi
valuations, law which cannot be I'd
ministered as written, is not admins
3 tered as written and would be unwis
] and unjust IL effectnalfy administered a
: written, the proposed American valuation
e will furnish law that Is inherently wis
:, and just can be administered as written
] and will furnish the only rational basi
e yet suggested for the intelligent consid
g GRAFTON of tariff rates either for publ
: revenue or for the protection Of Ameri
r can industries.
President walker Called On.
: Toastmaster Macpherson introduce,
] President William B Walker of TIL
! American Thermos Bottle company o
/. this city. mentioning that the Thermo
{ Plant had paid out in wages in the year
1t had been here 100000. and it wa
an industry affected by the conditions Q
9 which Mr. Morrison had been speaking.
President Walker was given an entflu
siastlc greeting of applause as he rose t
. speak. He said the Tnermos compan
: had come to Norwich with the promis
that it would pay out ten times in wage
8 l4tl1e $4,000 that was given the conpan,
2 ifhey had more than done that, had neve
,e regretted locating here and had done q
= well as they could have expected. Or
Il thing they had to contend with was I'll
ie high price of gas. but they expected |
le keep on with the business.
:. He said he agreed with what Mr.. No