The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-07-30
MAY PUT TARIFF
OUT OF POLITICS
Strong Organization in
Washington Working
to That End

Jpsciai TO The werid
WASHINGTON--A powerful or
ganizntion, with headquarters In
Washington and memberahip among
strong ORGANIZATIONS all over the
country, 10 working vigorously 10
take tho tariff out Of politics and
establish the matter Of import duties
strictly upon scientific basis. That
IL has been rpurred on 10 activity
along this line by the inefficiency Of
tho present congress when dealing
with tho tariff 10 apparent IN the
face OF things. but Il Is recognized
that under tho present Hystem OF
utilizing tariff duties as n mems or
paying political debts there can be
no solid foundation for business. and
therefore ths movement has been
started and is being pushed to
change tho method OF making tariff
laws.
a non partisan. scientific tariff IL
the aim Of this organization. which
has tho moral support ~ many per-
sons not actively affiliated with u.
senator Frclinghuyseu OF New Jer.
scy, one OF tho administrations
strongest supporters and ono OF the
pr"sidcnt's closest friends. has Of
tercd an amendment TO the pending
tariff bin to carry out the plan ad-
vocatod by the non partisan. scicn.
tific tariff promoters. and the extent
TO which opposition among ropub-
licans TO the measure now under
confederation has developed has en-
.t..a . T.. III A. n.
proposed plan.
To such an extent has the clamor
gone west that the republican ma
tlonal committee has seen lit to is
sue through It's regular press bureau
"A specific denunciation OF any effort
to remove the tariff from politics
II maintains that It IL a party ques-
tion. and can only he determined by
one or the other political parties and
IN not matter for scientific consld-
Grafton.
And yet. the very idea OF having
the amount of levy which shall be
levied on imports considered from n
scientific standpoint. with view to
determining what duty should be
levied. pre- supposes that the tariff is
to be laid for protection. The Idea
of scientific study OF the tariff, as
explained by Senator Frellnghuyscn,
official spokesman for the plan, is
to ascertain better than committee
OF congress can do what duty will be
required to allow American manu-
faCturers to meet foreign Competi-
tion; to provide greater elasticity in
the tariff by authorizing It's change
by presidential order from time to
time to meet changing conditions.
and Mt all times TO provide 'protec-
tion" to American manufacturers
against foreign competition.
Assuming that the purpose OF the
tariff IL TO equallze conditions as TO
cost Of manufacture between Amer
lean and foreign 9nufacturers. a
non partisan body might he empow-
cred to study conditions, varying the
duty according to conditions In diff
fercnt countries. and changing II
from time to time "a conditions Mt
homo or abroad change. But the
tariff has never been used for such n
purpose. Tho democratic idea has
been 10 use Il for the purpose OF
producing revenue. while the re-
publican idea has been to keep out
foreign products for the benefit OF
the American manufacturer.
Senator Frellnghuysen may be en-
tirely honest In his belief that the
tariff should only be such ms would
place American and foreign manu-
fncturers on an equal basis, and In
that event the non-pnrtisan idea
might prove very efficient. but the
democrats, firm In their opposition
to the protection systcm. and the re
publlcans, committed to The system
of high protection, cauno, he er-
pcCtcd TO agree on the propolcd par,
which suits either party.
Az n matter Of fact, ;hc suggestion
of such plan by Senatpt Frcling-
tuyscn In an official manner merely
cflls attention to the inability of the
republicans I'm congress 10 agree cn
any sort OF n tariff plan. More than
Is months ago President Harding
called congress into extrpnrd dinary
session. mainly for tho purpose Of
passing tariff bill. The house
passed mnkeshlft measure, unsatis-
factory to n largo portion OF the re-
puhlicans, through the name OF a
special rule permitting an amend
ment, The senate has been unable
10 get any sort of n measure
through, and what II is working on
probably Will not he cOncurred In by
the house.
In the meanwhile all over the
country republican newspapers and
individuals are critiClalng tho hill
under consideration and predicting
party defeat n Il Is passed. And the
senate Is 80 split up over II that there
is little likelihood OF any bill Of this
kind going through before the No
vcmbcr elections.