The New York herald., 1922-05-28

y
States and all other countries. Yet the
Federal Trade Commission. the work
Of which is confined 10 one particular
branch of American industry. received
in the neighborhood OF $4,000
stan Limitation shown.
On the entire chemical schedule the
Tariff Commission has only three ex-
perts at work; on metals and metal
manufactures. only four: on all tex
tiles, including wool, cotton and other
fibers manufactured. thereof. only
four; on the entire agricultural sched.
ule only four and only one man on
sugar. paper and lumber industries
combined.
In spite of this handicap the COM
mission has already performed an
enormous amount of work. II re-
Gently published 1900 page classified
and indexed summary of tariff infor-
nation relating TO the present bill. It
has in the press the first digest ever
attempted by any Government of the
commercial treaties of every nation in
the world in a / 900 page volume.
1t has just completed a history OF
'The Colonial Tariff Policies of the
World" something never before at
tempted and of pertinent interest at
this time because 1t gives full infor-
nation regarding the preferential rates
between the various portions Of the
British Empire. which is OF particular
interest to the United States in the
present world contest for trade.
In addition to these publications It
has published long list of other re-
ports covering every conceivable sub
ject relating to the tariff. Two i'm
portant recommendations have been
made by the commission up to date.
One is for the establishment Of free
zones, or free ports. in the United
States and the other FOR an interim
far has been embodied In any measure
proposed in Congress by either po-
litical party.
Distributing Project.
Under the former 1t proposed the
marking out Of certain zones at ports
of entry within which foreign articles
might be imported free Of duty and
manufactured or assembled for export,
thus increasing the Importance Of the
United States as a distributing nation
and giving employment to American
citizens.
The proposal for interim legislation
is that whenever tariff rates are pro-
posed in a new bill recommended by
the Ways and Means Committee OF
tho House it shall go into effect at
the time it is proposed. subject to
change when the legislation has been
completed by Congress. This Is the
plan followed in other countries to pre-
vent importers from taking advantage
of the situation which arises when
ever it is proposed to change tariff
rates.
For example, the commission points
out that whenever 1t becomes appar-
ent that Congress is about to increase
tariff rates importers who can COM
mand largo capital bring In large
quantities of foreign goods in time to
get them under the wire" before
passage Of the bill.
The commission has pointed out that
the sort Of Hearings" held by Con-
gressional committees on the tariff un-
der the present system are to a great
extent useless. because the informa'
| ton given under such circumstances
| is from biased sources-manufactur
ers on the one side, who want ths
highest rate of duty, and importers or
the other. who want no duty at all
Both of these, of course, have theii
own selfish ends In view.
The result is that these Legislative
hearings have practically no effect
whatever in influencing members oi
Congress in their votes on tariff rates
because they are always discounted.