San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-16
President Stands for Pro-
lection as Prosperity's
Hand Maiden.
KNOWS EVERY PHASE
Is Familiar With Fordney
Bill and Powers of the
Commission.
By ROBERT T. SMALL.

"oohhiStOhs Ds S.s nus. w. an
ing up his problems, one by one, &C.
Reording to his own fixed ideas of what
he should do in the White House,
president Coolidge soon will come face
TO face with the troublesome question
of the tariff.
Nothing much has been said of the
new Presidents tariff views. but it
has been taken for granted that COM
ing from New England and being a
graduate of the Murray Crane school
of 'Republicanism. Calvin Coolidge
stands as the rock of Gibraltar for
protection in all its many phases.
This assumption is entirely the cor
rect one. Mr.. Coolidge is a high pro-
tectionist. Protection is one of the
rock ribbed principles of the grand
to admit that as he sees things, pro-
lection is prosperity's hand maiden.
President Coolidge has inherited
from the Harding administration a
controversy in the United States tar
iff commission involving the question
as to whether or not the commission
shall initiate on its own motion in
Qu-ries into all the schedules of the
Fordney- McCumber tariff act with a
view of applying the flexible 5provis-
ions of the act to any schedules which
may be found at this time to be out
of adjustment in comparison of the
cost of production at home and
abroad.
President Harding was inclined to
let the tariff commission fight out its
own battles. But inasmuch as the
commission consists Of two stalwart
Republicans. two progressives and two
Democrats. it is not so easy for it to
reach unanimous decisions. The COM
mission will look now to the new
President for guidance.
Would Limit Activities.
The conservative leaders of the Re.
publican party are bringing their in
fluence to bear in favor of letting the
Fordney McCumber act alone and OF
confirming the tariff commission to in
designations of specific complaints.
such as followed the rapid rise in the
price of sugar in the late spring. Pres.
Sdent Harding directed the commission
kAascertain at once if the tariff on
sugar had anything to do with the
roeketing of sugar prices to new high
levels. The commission reported that
hut tdih HdS uOI " biuHit IDT -tuc
sudden increase. Its contentious in
this respect, Congress leaders declare,
have been completely borne out by the
fact, that withinZthe last six weeks or
twa months, sugar has receded in price
almost to the full extent of the spring
rise. During all this time it is point
ed out there. has been no changes in
the. tariff and the price of sugar has
been governed solely by the law of
supply and demand, coupled with the
ability of the Cuban producers and
eastern refiners to maintain a certaiD
measure of control over sugar at such
times as the domestic crop is not on
the market. The Democrats, of course,
do not take this view. A statement
just issued from the headquarters of
the Democratic national commission
says that although current prices of
sugar at retail are about 3 cents a
pound below those quoted in April
May and June, the tariff continues to
be felt as considerable factor in the
cost Of this staple"
The tariff commission is conducting
an exhaustive study of the entire
sugar situation and it eventually will
be up to President Coolidge TO declare
: whether or not there shall be an adj
justment of the duty on sugar. The
law gives the President the right to
make 30 per cent maximum adjust
ment either up or down in the rates
of the Fordney-McCumber bill when
ever the tariff commission shall re-
: port that change has occurred in the
cost Of production at home and abroad.
, The commission has sent agents to
Cuba, Porto Rico. Hawaii and the
Philippines as well as into the beet
sugar districts of the West and the
cane sugar regions of the South.
- Commission Can't Lower Price.
There is'a popular conception that
.yif the price of a commodity goes espe
cially high the tariff commission can
order q reduction in the tariff on that
especial commodity. The commission is
= anxious that this msapprehenson shall
be dissipated. All the commission cap
do, if it finds that costs of produc.
tiop has been lowered in this country
is to recommend an adjustment of the
tariff to the extent of this reduced
cost of production. With the retail
price of commodity. the commission
has nothing to do. No conclusion
whatever has been reached on sugar
as yet.
IEeslueHt SOOluHe unuerStdIuS tnlS
thoroughly. He sat in the Senate
throughout the tariff debates. He
knows every schedule of the bill and
is especially conversant with the pow
ers bestowed upon the commission and
upon the President in the flexible
clauses of the act.
Mr.. Coolidge has his own ideas as
to the high cost of living and how to
deal with it. Here are these ideas az
recently expressed:
1T is useless TO indulge indiscrim
mate abuse. We must not confuse the
innocent with the guilty; it must be
our object to allay suspicion not create
it. The great body of our trader
peoples are honest and conscientious
anxious TO serve their customers for a
fair return for their service. We want
their cooperation in our pursuit of
facts: We want to cooperate With
them in proposing and securing a rem
edy. We do not deny the existence o.
economic laws. nor the right TO profit
by u change of conditions.
But we do claim the right and duty
of the government TO investigate and
punish any artificial creation of high
prices by means of ill-z.s. monopolies
restraints of trade. And. above all.
we claim the right of publicity. That
Is a remedy with an arm longer and
stronger than the law. Let us know
what is going on and the remedy viii
provide ITSELF" ---.