The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-19
UNDERWOOD SHOWS. UP HYPOCRISY OF. t. O. P. TARIFF BILL.
Fundamental Differences of Two Parties Brought Out in Debate Between Gooding
 and Alabamian
By HUGH ". ROBERTS Washington Bureau. The AEe-Heraid,

WASHlnBtons May l6.-(Speclal.-- Very much of the republican hypo- crisy in tariff marking, has been ex- posed during the pending debate in the Senate by Senator Underwood Of Alabama, author of the existing law, and perhaps the best informed tariff expert in the United States.
 running debate between the Ala bama senator and Senator Gooding or Idaho, developed the Fundamental difference between the democratic and republican ideas respecting a taritf as directed against and in fa- Vor or the American farmer. Good ing would put duty on the products oi the farm to compensate the farm CT for the higher prices that he must pay Tor protected manufactured ar ticles, and thus would increase the cost of living to the public which consumes the products of the farm. Underwood would not protect the products of the farm because they are not brought into competition with foreign products, and would put all that the farmer buys on the free list.
 Fight For Farmer
 Further bearing on that topic Senator> Underwood said:
 "The senator contends that he is making this fight for the American farmer. I do not question that he is sincere in taking that position. He believes that levying taxes and put ting burdens on the people helps the American farmer.
 T believe that the great agricul- tura1 class of America ought to be :. built up. It is the backbone of the country. It is the sustaining life of the nation; but when l had the writ ing of tariff bill I attempted to build 1t up in different way. In stead of levying burdens of taxation l attempted to eheapen the cost of living.
 The bill that I had the honor to report to the House put every agri- cultural implement that I can re- call on the free list. untaxed. It put bagging and ties for the southern farmer on the free list
 Free Binding Irvine
 "We put duty on some cotton goods. but we gave the farmer of the west free binding twine. which he asked, and many other things that he wanted on the free list; among others, agricultural imple- ments. He is the man who prin- tiPdtiS QScS ol d dNAOu the farmers of the south had asked for free jute bagging-we import the raw material from India. largely and free cotton ties, because they had to go into a free-trade arket to sell the bulk of their product. The present law gives them free bag ging and ties, as it gives the north ern wheat farmer free twine, and iu this bill you turn around and put them back on the tax list.
 There is where we differ. You want to aid the American farmer by putting a tax on his products and also putting a high prohibitiye. pro- tective tax on everything he has to buy. I do not believe you aid the farmer in that way. l think you had better take the tax off of what he has to buy. That is my viewpoint of 1t. and I have endeavored to do 1t.
 Tariff Wall
 Senator Gooding, further to pro tect the farmer, would erect tariff wall before the eastern seaboard to prevent importation of foreign food products, and to preserve that vast consuming market for domestic pros ducers. e
 Senator Underwood, answering such contention, proved that foreign production of foodstuffs does not compete with domestic production even on the eastern seaboard, so far removed from the fertile fields of the west.
 In this connection, he said:
 "Mr. President, I am glad to yield to my friend from Idaho, because he is bringing this question right down to the issue; and I am sure that at some time he has visualized this vast population that lies along the seaboard, and honestly believes that these people are getting their bread, and food and clothes from abroad, and that the American farmer is en- titled to that market. and that some body is taking it away from him, Now. let us see. Let us analyze the question. I am sure the senator thinks that, but 1 am sure that he is dead wrong about 1t.
 What do the people eat in these cities? What are their principal foods? l am not talking about olives that they may get from ltaiy. or a few competitive)produ like lemons, where in the Nefw York mar ket the California lemons and the Italian lemons compete; but taking the senator's proposition that the gseat agricultural interests Of the west are entitled to this New York and east coast market-let us ana lyze that.
 Must Eat Bread
 "What do these people eat. to be- rin with? They cat bread. Bread ;s made out of wheat or corn. l know of no importations of corn into America that amount to anything; certainly not from Europe, because Europe Is not producing coun- trv and A. tariff would not affect the corn at all.
 The wheat from the west is going every day to the eastern seapoard' and they can not eat wheat as sucn; they eat flour. I would like to have the senator tell me now any place in Europe from which flour is com ing to feed these people on the sea hoard. If there is any such impor- tation, I do not know of 1t.
 "A little is coming in from Cana da. and a little of ours is going over into Canada. but mighty little wheat flour Is coming across the Canadian line in proportion to the American
 n.,r,ntion. The senator knows, as So. that sss bags out of every l,Ooo fr the grocery stores of the eastern market today are of American manu- fracture.
 U. s. Exports Wheat ss
 eve are exporters of flour; we are exporters of wheat; we are eNpor.el. of corn. Let us take the meats ol the west. A little meat Is coming srom Australia to the California .aast towns. and little meat is com sng from South America into the r,.rt of New York. but very very iittle. I do not think it amounts te one-tenth of per cent of the con-