, 1923-12-20
Imports Increase
Under Tariff Law

Imports have increased 104 per
cent while nopul7tion increased but
ten per cent within the decade, de-
c 'rcs he Republican Publicity As
ISOLATION through its president. Hon
Io7a.han Bourne. Jr., in a tariff
statement, as follows:
Three OF four years ago, the i'm
orting interests of this country. the
academic free traders, and the Dem
ac-ats, sensing Republican victory
at the polls in the ensuing elections.
and knowing that the corrollary of
such victory would be the restoration
81 the protective tariff policy, open
ed vi 4 new line Of argument known
as the goods instead of gold ap-
peal. 1t was to the effect that
Europe was now so heavily in debt
to the United States that the indus
trial nations of that continent could
linnidate the debts only In goods.
Therefore to enact a protective tariff
which would restrict the flow OF
those goods into this country, and
thus mitigate the pressure of Euro
pean competition. would be national
self! I'M SIS of the blacklist sort.
"Following election victories this
sort of argument grew in intensity,
the z Dubl'cans contenting them
selves with the reply that they had
n thought of enacting a prohibitive
tariff law, but they would carry out
~ 'iaiform promises of 1920
wherein the Republican Party re-
aftirms its belief in the protective
principle and pledges itself to a re-
vls.on of the tariff as soon as con-
d.t'nns shall make it necessary for
the preservation of the home market
for american labor. agriculture and
industT.' Inasmuch as the calendar
year 1920 brought to NJ ports of
entry $5,27S,0O0,0 600 worth OF for
o!Gn produts, "a per cent of which
Were fo~odstuffs. the Republicans. af-
ter organizing Congress, went to
work at once on the emergency tar
iff bill. vetoed by President Wilson
IN the preceding Congress, and on
Nay 27. 1921, full protection to
firm products was assured.
The pressure on the Agricultural
producers having thus been relieved
the RpubliCans were in a position to
undertake the general tariff revision
more s~'"d'ously. deliberately, and
scientifically. But the goods in
stead of gold refrain increased in
intensity AS debate went on. and
DIRE W re the predictions OF the on
pohtnis of protection as to what the
fcrdHey-McCumber law would do to
Europe and this country.
Let us look at the effect on
Europe, comparing the first full year
g re Fordney-McCumber tariff law
october l, 1922. to September 80.
1923. with the corresponding period
lS2l-l922 under the Democratic
tarltf law: Expressed in millions of
ooiiars we find that imports from
belgium increased from 46 to 81: (;
from Czechoslovaka IA to 16.
rance 1877 to l49; Germany lO4 tn
l52; Italy SO to 81; Netherlands 81
to n; Norway IL to 20; Spain 2s
10 ~; Sweden 81 TO AZ; and the
United Kingdom 3l2 to 425. Inn
ports from all the countries or Err
ope increased from sSg2,7g4 600 to
*1,l73.235.0OO or nearly 80 per
cent under the Republican law. Our
imports from Europe during he first
fuil year of the old Democratic law
october 1913 to September 1914
totaled sSA5. 900 900. Thus while
our population has increased n trifIe
over ten per cent. imports from
Europe under a protective law hayo
increased 80 per cent within the de-
cade. And If 1t is desired to carry
the comparison a little farther. i'm
ports from all the world have in
creased from Sl,S75.O0O 900 to sal
o"o,OOO.OoO or lO4 per cent.
The other argument was that the
less Europe sold to us. the less she
would buy from us, from which we
might reasonably have concluded
mat the more she sold to us the
more she would buy from us, yet ex-
ports to that continent have fallen
somewhat, although they have gain
ed greaNv to every other grand di-
vision. The Democrats and Their
supporters were wrong about the
tariff on all counts The Republi-