Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-22
Harding Confronted With
Choice of Surrendering to
Congress on Question of
Elasticity of Bill
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Leased Wire Service to The Journal)
(Copyright, 1922


WASHINGTON, June 21.-As the
climax approaches in the debate over
| the tarifT, President Harding finds
| himself confronted with choice be-
tween surrendering to congress on
the question of elasticity and flexi-
| bility in the making Of tariff rates
| hereafter or making a determined
| fight for the extension to the execu-
| tive Of tariff commission with
power to correct such inequities as
| may develop in the actual working
out of rates in the pending bill.
For congress will not of it's own
accord deviate from the course fol-
lowed in the past--namely, the max
ing of a political tariff and only the
impetus to be furnished by executive
appeal to public opinion can take
| the tariff out of politics.
| Many times in the last few dec
AIDES have public men advocated the
removal of the tariff from partisan
| influence on the ground that the
tariff rates made by congress reflect.
ed the political desires of the most
| influential groups in American in.
| dustry rather than the true inter-
ests of the consuming public. But
the moment never has been as pro-
pitious as today for a fight to vest
in tariff commission the same
| broad powers to make rates as Is
| given to the interstate commerce
commission to fix railroad rates. The
reason for the favorable opportunity
is really the unsettled condition of
Europe. Trade conditions are subject
to SO many changes from day to
day that even the most ardent pro-
| tectionists admit there will be in
| equities. To correct these congress
would necessarily have 70 keep con-
stantly revising the tariff upward or
| downward as circumstances re-
| quire.
| President Harding has heard many
complaints that the high tariff bill
now in the senate would injure
| American foreign trade. His pet
measure, too, the merchant marine
bill already is being attacked by
Democrats on the ground that no
subsidy in the world will enable
| American ships to compete with
| foreign flags if little or no goods
are to be carried on regular yoy.
ages to the United States.
The president is anxious on the
one hand to conserve American in.
dustries and give them legitimate
protection and to have on the other
hand as big a foreign trade as is
possible. To determine what are
just and equitable tariff rates, the
subject must be stripped of political
privilege and special favor. The de-
cisions must be judicial and based
only on economic facts. Congress
has refused heretofore to permit
anybody to determine tariff rates
for exactly that reason--as cam
paign contributors and other in.
huential men in constituency have
looked upon their representatives in
congress as their particular agents
in tariff matters. Both Republicans
and Democrats will admit that prac
tically every tariff bill in the past
has been influenced by considerations
of party politics.
| The situation today is UNIQUE
Many staunch Republicans who think
American prosperity depends upor
getting more goods sold in Europe
more cotton and agricultural prod
ucts-for the war expanded Amers
can production facilities and left us
with surplus supplies-are contend
ing that tariff wall will ruiz
American export as we'll as import
trade They declare the world mus
first get back to economic normalcy
before high protective tariff should
be enacted.
The Republican national platform
of 1920 on which Mr.. Harding was
elected was cautious in this connec
ton and when the time comes TO,
a vote on the tariff some Republicans
will argue that they will be keepins
the. platform pledge by urging post
ponemert of tariff revision rather
than by acting on it now. Here i.
the text of the platform pledge:
''The uncertain and unsettled con
dition of international balances, the
abnormal economic and trade stu
alton of the world. and the impossi
bility of forecasting accurately ever
the near future preclude the formu
lation of definite program to NEE
conditions year hence. But tn,
Republican party reaffirms it's be
lief in the protective principle anC
pledges itself to a revision of the
tariff as soon as conditions shall
make it necessary for the preserva