The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-25
BROWN TO PRESIDE AT TARIFF MEET
Sessions Will Be Held In Chattanooga On De-
 Cember z And 8

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, Nov. 24- J. J. Brown. commissioner of agricul- ture of Georgia, will preside over the session of the southern tariff con gress. which will have under consid- eration the vegetable oil schedule of the present tariff law, it was an- nounced at headquarters of the con gress today.
 The congress convenes here Decem Der [, for a two days session. Dele gates will attend representing sixty three industries of the south, while about five hundred chamber of com merces and five thousand banks are backing the association in its fight to protect southern tariff sch edules.
 In message to J. A. Arnold, vice president of the Southern Tariff as- sociation, Mir, Brown announced that his decision to accept the invitation from the tariff congress was made after he had received a letter from the Georgia Cotton Growers associa- tion and the Georgia Peanut Growers association. urging him to attend the congr ess in the interest of these in- dustries. MT. Brown is 6 recognized agricultural leader of the south, active in advancing organized move ments in the interest of the farmers Vegetable oil Involved.
 Tt is now generally known" read. MT. Browns message. that an effort will be made in the near future by the large interests in the north and east which use vast quantities of vegetable oil in the manufacture of soap. yarnish, etc, to have the pro- tective tariff on vegetable oil re- moved entirely or very drastically reduced such action would work very disadvantageously to the interest of the southern agriculture, inasmuch as the removal of the tariff on vege- table oil would put the southern farmer in direct competition with the producers of Oriental oils, which are produced by the cheap coolie labor
 While reaffirming his faith in the democratic tariff principle, MT. Brown declared:
 T do not feel that it would be just to our southern farmers to com pei them to sell their products with out the advantage of protectiye i taritf While they are at the same tlme compelled to purchase their sup piles, their food and clothes and everything which goes into the pro- duction of their products at prices made under protective tariff condi- tions for the article"
 Lifting the tariff on thcse nils would immediately result in depress- ing prices for peanuts. cotton seed oil and other products, Mr Brown pointed out as it would let down the bars to flood of cheaply produced oriental oils and bring them on the market in competition with southern oils.
 The flexible provision of the tariff act as permanent tariff policy of government will come in for general discussion.
 John IT. Kirby of Houston. Tex. president of the association. will de- liver his annual address on opening day.
 Reports of state chairmen from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas. Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana Mary land Mississippi, Missouri New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma. south Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia will oc- cupy part of the opening day. Southern organizations will report to the meeting upon the effect of the present tariff act on their industry and the meeting will hear from "cripples" and industries unable to function under the present tariff. On December Charles D. B. Claiborne of New Orleans, president of the American Bankers league. will speak, in China and other eastern countries.