The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-24
WALSH BITTERLY ATTACKS PROPOSED
 t. ]. p. TARIFF BILL
Democrat Declares Measure Is Economic Monstrosity. Does Not Protect, But
 Prohibits Imports
By Associated Press

Washington, April 23.-Character- izing the administration tariff bill as Gan economic monstrosity without precedent or prototype" Senator Walsh of Massachusetts, democratic member of the Senate finance com mittee, declared in a statement is- sued tonight that the republican party "has at last presented to the country a tariff bill that does not protect, but in fact prohibits and keeps out foreign goods altogether.
 Protection as a principle has un- der this bill been completely aban- doned." Senator Walsh said. "The underlying purpose of the bill seems to be the handing out of special favors and subsidies to those groups who are able to exercise either sin ister political influence upon legis- lators or pernicious forms of eco- homie pressure. It is plain that cer- tain schedules were dictated by powerful trusts which hold in the palm of their hands a large part of American business and control the production and the price-fixing of many of our most essential com modities.
 Other schedules, 1t is well known, were dictated by vote-seeking poli- ticians who propose to entrench themselves in power by attempting to bestow the blessings of protec- tion upon the farmer. with the inn piled assurance that a mirage of high tariff rates will create over night millionaire colonies rivaling Wall street, in the agricultural sec- tions of the middle and western states.
 'In attempting for the first time to establish an effective tariff on agri- cultural products the bill undertakes to increase the bread lines of our large cities and multiply poverty in the great industrial centers. Even the food that the children of the crowded tenements so sparsely re- .eeiye is to Do taxed as even the mpst uninforned Knows that half our im- port and export trade are Agrieui- tural products.
 Increase Prices
 Every essential for domestic con- sumption and use, including wearing apparel, will be increased in price hy the rates fixed in this bill; and this forced upon the country at the very time wages are being rapidly reduced and deflation of prices urged. The unorganized and apparently voiceless consuming millions of Americans are again to be taxed for the benefit of the old army of tariff beneficiaries plus all the war mush- room industries, and last but not least. the new leadership group in the republican party. the farm bloc
 "The provisions of the bill that give the President unlimited power to change rates, schedules, classifi- : cations and valuation standards. if not unconstitutional are at least most pernicious. It delegates to one man the power to completely nullify the expressed will of the chosen leg islative representatives of the peo- pie. It vests the President for the first time in our history with the power of taxation. It is a step to- wards autocracy to bestow on the executive the power of law making
 The bill leaves uncertain the question of making rates on the basis of foreign or American valuation. The House demands one standard, the Senate another and the President is to be given power to jump from one to the other.
 Tn desperation to keep out Ger man made goods an embargo in real ity has been placed on merchandise made or produced in every other country except Germany"