The Idaho recorder., 1922-05-12
THE TARIFF
HABIT.

The report OF the Senate Finance
committee makes IL clear that the
republicans mean TO put through an
old style protective tariff. There
will be long fight before any bill
passes the senate, and after that an
other fight 20 reconcile the senate bill
with that passed by the House nearly
a year ago, but in the end, whatever
the "details Of the Law, the party
which swept the country by 1000, 900
plurality will offer as its supreme
contribution to a new economic order
tariff Of the vintage Of the early
nineties.
The arguments 10 support the bill
are in themgelves a melancholy con-
fession Of special incapaclty. For q
limited number af induetriea-coal-
sar dyes and medicinal products, long
staple cotton, hemp, certain chemi-
Gals, optical giass-~the consuming
public is to pay susidy into the
pocket Of the producers because their
Industries are necessary to make US
gelf-sulficiene in the next wat which
we fought the last war 10 make inn
possible. In other industries We are
10 have protection agaiuat the pauper
labor Of Europe and 50 make it more
difficult for Europe 10 move toward
economic prosperity. We are adding
10 our own cost of living - in order
10 make possible the commercial war
fare which high tariffs symbolic,
and (2l 10 subsidize industries necea-
aary for the physical combat which
tariff wars help TO bring about. Tru-
~ II II a sorry world II such organi-
gation Of economic esctusiVeneas---
ourselves against the worlds the
part Of wisdom,
In reality the high tariff IL as fool
inh from the standpoint Of national
prosperity al II Is from that Of inter
national ethics. The United States Il
the worlds creditor She has given
evidence Of desiring TO collect her
debts. They must be paid, If VI all,
in gools against which the tariff shuts
the door. Nor Is ii merely matter
Of debts Those might In large part
be forgiven; there would still remain
the problem Of future trade. A de-
partment Of commerce report on the
basis Of eight months ending March
Indicated balance Of international
trade in our fayor-~that Is, an excess
OF exports over impofts--sfor the en-
suing twelve months. of 200 900 900
Yet with this balance we are being
told that we must be protected
against eompctitionl
Despite this so-ealled favorable
balance Of trade, the total Of exports
and imports In 1921 was only about
half as great a. in 1920. The stagna-
tion Of industry il due not To foreign
Il ft. Ia6 a. H.. -.
ability Of foreigners TO buy our goods
Ia sufficient quantity To fill their own
neels and 10 keep our workers busy.
Farmers have not been burning corn
in the west because of imports of
goods form abroad but because
starving Europe cannot buy the
means Of life. While the agricultural
bloc ioins in tariff logging. the FEEDER
alton Of Farm Bureaus proposes TO
send missions aborad TO stimulate the
sale OF American food products. The
world, in other words, is treated 10
the extraordinary spectacle of cam
raign for foreign trade wagcd by a
nation which makes II an hard as pos
sihlc for Its customers to pay for the
gposs IL wants TO sell,
IL IL signiheent fact that high
tariif Is no longer iesired by many OF
the~most powerful OF our uverlords,
the great bankers and manufacturer.
They understand thoroughly that ir
we are 10 export and be- paid for our
exports we must permit imports as
web. How then Is IL possible for such
a program TO win support Only be-
cause the tariff has become habit
and still appeals 10 eupidity and igno-
rRftee. Certain manufacturers who
feaf competition and find il easter to
survive by subsidy than by efficiency
add together their selfish fears and
demands. Privilege seekers make
common cause and impose upon popu-
lar crciulity. The result is the tariff.
The case of the farmer Is particu.
lafiy illuminating. The emergency
tarsu has been in effect for more than
a year without roscuing him from
distress. Tic needs cooperative mar
ketinK, scientific credit, the restora-
ton Of world trade. fairer system
of land tenure, and instead he is OF.
fcrod a gold brick of a tariff ON which
even the gilt has been worn thin. The
official stand Of the Farmers Confer
ente at Washington was that there
should ha equality Of treatment for
manufacturers and farmers. Some of
the speakers made IL plain that that
demand might be as completely satis-
TED hy free trade for both groups rs
by high tariff.
In spite Of the new tariff bloc hea /
ed BY tina, great sheep raiser, Senator
Gooding of Idaho. the farmers inter
eEtA as producers and consumers
would DC more truly served by FREE
trade all around Il Is, Of course. true
that farmers who Spccilizc. not in sta
pies like whsat and corn but in sugar
beets, potatoes, lemons, sheep and
some other products may temporarily
pnolt BY tax on food and wool. But
they will do 80 at the cost Of the con
suming public. The United States Is
becoming primarily an industrial ma
tion, and its standard of living can
only be depressed by subsidies to
food-growerS and lumbermen. Instead
OF protecting Americans from a pau
rer standard--imagine the absurtiity
of such an argument as applied TO
goods coming from Canada, which
would be hard hit by the proposed
tariff on fondt-thAsa navx e,,bsf. .t;As