, 1923-09-04
To Correct Not to Revise

Among the Harding policies that President
Coolidge will support is of course that OF pro
tectiye tariff. He has assured the country OF
this. It is entirely consistent with both ms
theory and practice. He has been a life long pc
lever in the america First" policy. he De
lieyes in encouraging American industry ana
protecting the American producer from unjust
competition from other nations in which wages
and production costs are much lower than in the
United States.
Recognizing that there are unsettled conditions
throughout most of the world and particularly
in Europe, the congress that passed the present
tariff law included therein what is known as
the "flexibility clause" which authorizes the
president. after investigation by the tariff COM
mission, to make changes in tariff rates not ex-
ceeding fifty per cent in either direction, when
good cause has been shown why the changes
should be made. Opponents of the free trade
principle looked upon the flexibnity provision as
designed solely for the purpose of reducing tar
ifs. Scarcely had the act been placed upon the
statute books when they began clamoring for
executive action for the reduction of rates. With
out any regard whatever for the reasonableness
of the import duties imposed and without any
consideration of the effect upon American indus
tries, these free trade a~gitators wanted a whole
sale exercise of the executive power for the re-
duction of protective tariff duties.
President Harding did not look upon the flex-
ibility clause as bestowing upon him any such
broad power over the tariff law. He regarded the
tariff act as establishing not only the tariff
principles which should be observed but the de-
tails Of import taxes, changeable only where ex-
traordinary circumstances called for action. He
did not regard it as his prerogative to undertake
n wholesale revision of the tariff law enacted
by that branch of the government which the con
~stitution prescribes shall have power to enact
revenue legislation. 1t is readily apparent that
President Coolidge takes a similar view.
One device of the free traders has been TO
assume that every move in favor of protection is
inspired by politics while every move in the di-
rection of abandonment of protection is actuated
by regard for public welfare. Thus, one period
ical, which has an unbroken record against n
protective tariff, cites the fact that importers
ask for the reduction of the duty on lemons and
asserts that Opposition on the part of Cali
fornia fruit growers to any reduction in the duty
on lemons has injected a political element into
the proposal" As a matter of fact, 1t did not in
iect a political element but rather a purely eco
nomic element. The sole question is whether the
California lemon growers shall be subjected to
destructive competition from abroad.
The same free trade propagandist insists that
President Coolidge should give carte blanche to
the tariff commission, which would mean that
he abdicate his authority and shirk his respon-
sibility under the flexibility clause of the tariff
law. That law did not vest the tariff commission
with power to act in the changing of rates. 1t
placed that responsibility solely upon the presi-
dent, merely requiring the tariff commission to
make investigation as to facts.