Evening star., 1922-07-06
h(NRARTY TARIFF
HELD IMPOSSIBLE
6. o. P. National Commit
tee Declares Move Backed
byFree Trade interests.

Charging that "the agitation OF So
called non-partisan tariff -organiza-
tions Is backed by free trade inter
ests." the republican national COM
mittee has sent out through its pub
licity bureau a statement insisting
that non-partisan tariff is an eco
nomic impossibility."
The statement is regarded as i'm
portant. as indicating the position Of
the republican national political or
ganization on this question. appar-
emily showing a cleavage of opinion
among republicans on the subject. An
amendment. offered by Senator Free
linghuysen. high protectionist and ad-
ministration supporter. to the pend
ing tariff bill favors a non-partisan
scientific tariff
The statement seems to have been
called forth by the activities Of the
recently created organization for An
American Non-Partisan Scientific
Tariff" which has opened bureau
in Washington. Its slogan is Take
the tariff out of politics." The MEM
bers of the preliminary organizat tion
committee are officials of many in
dustrial organizations, including the
Manufacturers Association of New
Jersey. the Associated Industries of
Massachusetts, the National Wool
Growers Association, the American
Farm Bureau Federation. the Indiana
Manufacturers Association. the Ohio
Manufacturers Association. the llli-
nois Manufacturers Association, and
the Michigan Manufacturers Associa
ton.
Co-Operation Held Vital.
The opening announcement of this
"only through intensive cooperation
between industry. commerce. agricul-
ture and labor can just and equita
BILE tariff be accomplished that will
secure the economic progress of the
United States and render it free from
disastrous upheavals."
The statement of the republican ma
cannot be such a thing as non-par-
tisan tariff in the United States. This
is because there are in this country two
schools of thought, which differ fun
damentally and radically as to the
proper scope and functions of tariff
First. a school which believes a tariff
should be written merely for the pur-
pose Of providing revenue; second, q
school which believes that in addition
to providing revenue. tariff should be
used as means for protecting Amer
lean industries and keeping out de-
structve foreign competition.
The statement goes on to say there
can be no middle ground between these
two positions. a tariff is either a pro-
tectiye tariff or it is not. The demo-
cratic party has been traditionally the
party for tariff for revenue only-that
r,y-%xy
has been the party which has always
stood for a tariff which furnished both
revenue to the government and protec-
tion to American industries"
The statement also contends that mo
tariff commission can be non-partisan.
1t must be either wholly partisan one
way or the other, or bipartisan. In
celebrating that assertion the state
ment says:
Twofold Problem.
"Any so-calIed nom partisan commits
sion created for the purpose Of writing
a so-called non-partisan tariff would OF
necessity first have to make q decision
as to which kind of tariff 1t was going
to write-a tariff for revenue or a pro-
tective tariff. fs&5 "'-
IF the commission were divided be-
tween these TWO SCHOOLS Oh tnOuSHt
it would Immediately get into par
tisan discussion within it's own mem
bership as to which tariff it would
and propose. If the COM
mission were all of the belief in
tariff for revenue only it would be
solidly democratic. If. on the other
hand, it were all of the belief in
protective tariff it would be wholly
republican. In either of these two
events it would be partisan in the
extreme"
The interesting phase of all this to
republicans at the Capitol is the
question whether the republican ma
tional committee is assuming stand
pat protectionist stand on the tariff
as opposed to the spreading move
ment in the party ranks for lessen
ing of tariff rates and their construc-
tion along lines other than sheer pro-