, 1922-08-17
TARIFF TRUTHS
BEAT THEORIES
BENEFITS Derived FROM The EMER.
GENCY TARIFF APPLY TO COTTON
As WELL As WOOL

The wisdom and effectiveness of
the Republican emergency tariff
measure have beer demonstrated fire.
quently and in many different lines
OF production as is evidenced in the
return of reasonably normal condi-
tons among the sheep and wool pro-
ducers of Wyoming and the west.
The soundness OF the protective
principle is also demonstrated In an
other of the great staple. cotton, es-
pecially that known as 'long staple"
cotton. which illustrates the benc-
fits which have been derived by
American industry since the enact
ment of that law.
On cotton of rs inches and over
in length of staple tho Emergency
Tariff Act imposed a duty of 7 cents
a pound. This applies to Pima cot
ton, or American-Egyptian, as it il
sometimes called. because 1t is a de-
rivative Of Egyptian long staple cot
ton which has been successfully in
trOduCed into the Southwestern
States where it has become quito y
industry with hriEht rro4D"ots il
store for T. if the unrestricted COM
petition of the Fgvptian cotton +
prevented. The pending tariff bill
continues Che protective rate pro
vided for in the Emergency Tar.if
Act.
Tho United States Tariff CCmmi"-
sion has recently published some III
tcre7ting data concerning the Growth
Of this long staple cotton in Fg"1,.
where the industry dates BAG: 10
1920. It is the so-callcd Sakel.
larides long staple grown in low~r
Egypt which has been made dutiahlc
L.. A. I~. 80 t..
competition with the Pima cotton
Grown in the Southwest, particularly
in Arizona. Senator Ashurst. Dem
ocrat of that state. and a free trader
on most commodities, wanted a dutv
as high as Is cents and fought for
It. but voted for 7 cents when he
found that was the hest he could
get.
During the past decade the REQUIRE
ments of the rapidly expanding tire
fabric industry in the United States
have caused this country to become
the second largest buyer OF Egyptian
COTTON says the Commission. "Thc
number Of motor vehicles in use in
the United States has grown enrh
year, in 1921 amounting to 1O.125,-
. 900. about eight times as many as
in 1913" The tire fabric industry
uses half this cotton, imported Egypt
ian and native Pima. while the sew
ing-thread industry is C in It's
use of this cotton.
This has resulted in the extension
of the Pima cotton industry in the
Southwest from 375 bales in 1912 to
90 SCI bales in 1921. Among other
things the Commission finds that
"the emeig ency tariff has not re-
suited in actually increasing the
price of American-Egyptian Pima cot
ton. although 1t may have stabilized
the price somewhat" And, further,
"the finn-rloth nils afford the most
striking ias.arr" OF tho substitution
of the cheaper Pima for Sakellarides
during recent months. Those mills,
"hcn thcv nee Egyptian REQUIRE
mainly Sakellarides, but their
consumption of Egyptian cotton has
decreased and their consumption Of
Pima greatly increased
The Ter tariff act IA
passed by the Republican Congress
May 27th. 1921. and with respect to
Pima as well as other agricultural
products. it has already beer vindi-
Gated. With continued protection
the outlook Is good for a rapid multi
plying of acreage in the Southwest
devoted to Pima cotton which other
wise would be lying idle, and we will
in a very few years be Independent
OF foreign sources of supply. But
American growers can never COM
pete with the product of f%ellaheen
labor in Egypt on a free trade basis.
II Egypt could have a permanent
monopoly Of this market. her grow
ers could combine on the highest
prices that the traffic would stand.
But with America developing IN
adequate souFce of supply the price
will be pegged at a reasonable point.
for to go above that would be to in
wife once more the competition from
lEnunk