Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-09-28
With Our State
Contemporaries
THE NEW TARIFF

ne Il OIuHty- MC1uHlDtT ldTlll Is
now the law of the land. 1t is built
on the theory of protection
protection" is just as essential to
American industry today as it was. in
other periods when we heard more
about it because of a lack Of other
crowding issues to monopolize the
public eye and ear. The war upset all
normal economical conditions. 1t
rescued America from the steadily in
creasing depression which was the in
evitable Glow tariff" aftermath Of the
Democratic Underwood Bill. "War
industry" took the place of the rap
idly waning "peace industry" which
was again on its way toward the
zero hour which has historically ac-
companied practically every low tar
iff America has ever had. We forgot
about tariffs. The bloody business of
martial conflict supplied the factory
orders which otherwise were begin
ming to be conspicuous by their alb
sence. With peace, came an emer-
gency tariff. Now comes the per-
manent article. If we have forgot
ten what has invariably happened to
us, in other days, during the absence
Of tariff protection, it does not alter
the economic fact. American mar
kets and American wage standards
cannot survive without protection. If
we have had no fatalities in recent
years to remind US Of this axiom, ii
does not lessen our good fortune in
living under a political dispensation
which provides what we need whether
our wants and woes cry out for II
or not
1t is quite generally said, by critics,
that this new enactment is bad
law" Critics usually say that of new
tariff laws. In some respects, we
suspect it is. There never was a pro-
tective tariff law passed which was
not bad in spots. Human nature con-
tinues not infallible, and selfishness
is still a fairly active human charac-
teristic. But the worst protective
law ever passed is better than the
best free trade law ever devised. Fur
Their, those critics who complain in
one breath that the new law is un-
scientific because made without the
support of adequate economic facts
and complain in the next breath that
some of the schedules are unjustified
by the economic facts which they say
are not available, tangle themselves
up in a curious sort of challenge to
their own reasoning processes.
The best thing about the new law
is its elasticity-its sanction of 3
sliding scale of duties which, by ex-
ecutive proclamation, can be made to
fit conditions that may change, or car
be made to measure more accurately
the difference in costs of production
at home and abroad as experience
discloses what the measure of this
difference ought to be. The next best
thing about the new law is its man
date for a new and broadened Advis
DRY Tariff Commission of non-parti
san experts whose constant obliga
ton it shall be to keep the Govern
ment currently informed regarding
these costs at home and abroad. Up
on the basis of authentic information
furnished by such an agency, the
making of future tariffs should b'
practically eliminated from thu
realms of guesswork. The actua
voting of tariff duties can never pro
perly be taken away from the direc
representatives Of the people because
the fixing of tariff-even after fact.
are undisputed-will always be ;
matter of judgment and policy. II
other words, a Free Trader and ;
Protectionist would arrive at total.
different conclusions, as to a proper
duty, from the same acknowledged
set of facts. But we leave the darl
ages a long way behind, when W,
now undertake to see to it that tn,
facts" themselves shall be more in
dubitably established.
The Fordney McCumber Tariff will
in The Herald's opinion, justify it
self by its results.--Grand Rapid
Herald.