New-York tribune., 1922-10-28
Tariff Prevents
Initiation Era.
Declares Mills
Artificial Prosperity Would
Be Free Trade Result,
He Says in Criticism Of
Sir George Paish's Plan
Protection Is Imperative
Great Nation Has
Accepted Policy, Why
Abandon II Now? He Asks

Adherence to the free trade policies
offSir George Paish, British economist.
would plunge this country into an
other era OF artificial prosperity such
as existed Immediately after the war.
declared Representative Ogden L. Mills,
candidate for reelection in. the 18th
Congressional District, at an after
noon meeting yesterday in the home Of
Mrs. S. Borchand, 34s West Eighty
sixth Street.
Representative Mills classified the
Englishman's arguments as fallacious.
To make greater use of our gold, he
said, would mean an expansion Of
credit and imitation of prices through
out the land. In Sir Georges own
country, he said, the necessity for pro-
tecting home industries was apparent
and tariff Of 80 f-3 per cent was fixed
to protect basic industries, while n
board Of trade was vested with power
to make a further increase of SIS per
cent.
Protective Tariff "Made" U. s.
"Why should we abandon prc-
tective tariff when we have grown
great on it?' Representative Mills
asked. Every great nation, including
England, has to-day accepted the pro-
tectiye policy. Is it conceivable that
we should select this time to abar
don it?"
Answering the objections of those
who oppose the tariff on the grounds
that it may increase the cost of living
Representative Mills said:
Experience has proved time and
again that increased production at
home, together with competition among
nome producers, prevents a price in
grease to the full amount of the duty
and often results in Home production
price below that of the foreign COM
petitor. In the question of supply
price, the tariff is only of minor i'm
portance. Mr.. Ford turns out countless
automobiles each year. They will con-
tinue to sell in the same large uuanti-
ties, whether or not there is tariff
on automobiles, because the people
have the desire for the machines and
the ability to crafty that desire.
Gas for the disposition of surplus
production if imports are reduced to
minimum, two questions are fire.
quently asked: Can we sell if we do
not buy7 and, How is the foreigner to
pay the interest owed on the vast in
debtedness
ITO Begin with, there are three items
which will more than cover the inter
est on foreign debts--the money spent
by American tourists abroad, the
money sent to Europe by immigrants
here, and those two practices mount
up to hundreds Of millions of dollars,
and the fact that American capital is
invested abroad. Besides, our exports
are Of secondary importance as COM
pared with our primary home market,
never having constituted more than
to per cent of our total sales.
while the remaining "a per cent was
consumed in this country. Further
more, exports have steadily mounted
under our protective system, and,
finally, it has been estimated that 61
per cent of imports will come in free
under the present tariff bill"
Mr.. Mills commented on the fexi-
bility of the tariff, which permits regu-
lations to conform with business con-
ditions and provides opportunities for
correcting mistakes that might occur.