Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-10-14
Washington, D.. c.. Oct. 11.-After

q year ana a half of effort congrass
has Just passed q new tariff act levy-
Ing Increased customs duties on ifne
ports into the United States. This
legislation has brought forward anew
the question of the wisdom Of oStab-
fishing free ports in America.
A free port is a geographic excep-
ton to a nations tariff. It is a city
or q specified zone In a@city to which
foreign goods may be brought, alter-
Cd or manufactured, and r~e-exported
without the payment, Of duty. The
official definition given free ports BY
the United States tariff commission
reads a. follows:: y
"a free port or free zone is q place,
limited In extent, that differs from adj
jacent territory in being exempt from
the customs laws as affecting goods
destined for re-export; it means. sim
ply, that a regards customs duties
imported goods enter the domestic
market. "A free zone may be defined
az an isolated. 1nclosed and policed
area, without resident population, fur.
nished with the necessary facilities
for lading and unlading, for supply
Ing fuel and ships stores, for storing
goods and for r%eshipping them, by
land and water; an area within which
goods may be landed, stored, mixed.
blended, repacked, manufactured and
reshipped without payment of duties
and without\ the Intervention OF Gus
toms officials.> It is subject, equally
with adjacent regions to all laws re-
latink to public health, vessel inspeo-
Immigration. and indeed everything
Avo~nk +hA N,safonAa 8 N
There have been two great parties
in the United States practically since
the foundation Of the republic. One
has aspoused the principle Of free
trade, that Il the free import Of goods
without payment Of customs duties;
and the other has espoused the prtn-
ciple Of protection of native indus-
tries through the medium of a high
tariff which will prevent foreign made
goods from coming here and selling
III ,cheaply AZ the home product may
self.
Basically, the broad reasons for
A thickly populated country produce
Ing. its chief wealth by manufacturing
imported raw materials and selling
them abroad benefits by free. trade
because 1t must get its materials
with which to do business from out
side. In such a Ease, a nation i'm
posing q tariff would be taxing itself
for the privilege Of doing business:
Second, q relatively ,sparsely settled
country, the chief produce Of which
- raw materials, but which is seek
ing to establish industries for manu-
fscture. can afford to impose a. tar
ia because It does not require abso-
lutely the goods Of the outside world
a-A ~ ~AwAlk ,eSSaIa 0CnH0 $Nno11rt xapn,,lA
rstard tho development of local mans
Exainples OF Free Trade and Protec-
tlQn.
In modern times the two outstand-
ing examples Of such nations havs
been England, an island with more
than 100000 spopuA ton, the chief
wealth OF which arisbs from manu-.
facturIdS goods; and the United States,
e territory Of continental extent with
only twice ~ many. Inhabitants, whoss
ehiSf. wealth consists in. raw materials
81 agriculture and mines.
England u q fres trade country ira
aitIonally and the United States Z
Butsin recent years the tremendou
advance az, Industry In the United
States and the inflow Of our manu-
tfactureA goods ana those Of othel
Countries Is England, have served ID
break down the old traditi0ns.7 There
have been strong leaninss In THU
country towaId freerE opportunities t.
manufacture and sell here o re-ex.
port foreign 5coynmoditiss and Eng.
land has found II desirable 10 impose
customs duties o n some imports.
Dngisndsi dMties apply chiefly Il
l,ixufiss anSyto goodel which conlpsts