, 1924-09-04
EMERGENCY TARIFF CUT FARM
IMPORTS so PER CENT

WASHINGTON, SEPT. at has
been declared by the Democratic
party tina the Emergency Tariff law
enacted by the Republicans on May
81, 1921, was "done to fool the
farmer and hat agricultural pro-
ducers received no benefit whatever
from it.
1t will be recalled that in the
closing days of the Democratic Ad-
ministration imports were flooding
this country as never before in his
tory, and the calendar year 1920
ended with purchases abroad totaling
$3.50, 900 900, of which foodstuffs
accounted for $1,S15,00O, 900, in
Guided in which, of course, were GER
tain non-competing articles such as
tea, coffee, bananas, etc.
But the menace to the American
farm was great, and the Republicans
at once set to work to meet it with
the Emergency Tariff law, which
placed nearly 80 items of agriculture
and stockraising on the protected
list, and at the same time provided
an anti-dumping clause to prevent
foreigners from overwhelming our
market with underpriced goods.
A study of our imports for the
cdlCnudl year lJsU SloNS lIdl hSdl-
ly $4,000, 900 900 worth of goods
came in to compete with farm or
agricultural products. A large part
of this sum was attributable to sugar
which was exceedingly high in price
even under the Democratic law, and
the foreigner got the benefit of it.
The Emergency Tariff law was in
force but one month of the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1921, and through
out the entire fiscal year 1922. In
the former year our total imports
were valued at S3,654, 000, 900, and
in the latter, $2,60S, 900 600. Wheat
imports fell from nearly $9S,0O0, 900
to about SIT 900, 900; flour from
S13,6OO,O 900 to $500, 900; corn
from nearly 1000, 900 to $137, 900;
peanuts from $3,370,000 to $780,
900; cattle from $4,000, 900 to a
little over $4,000, 900; fresh meat
from $31, 900, 900 to ~s7,657,00O; but
ter from almost $4,000, 900 to $3,-
257 900; milk from S~5,750,000 to
S3,45O,00O; wrapper tobacco from
$67 100000 TO $57, 100000; sugar
from $685. 900 900 to nearly S201,-
600, 900; rice from ~s6,2SO,000 to
100000; potatoes from ~S3,360,00O
to s1,793 900; and pronounced de-
creases in other items.
Compensatory duties were allowed
on cotton and wool manufactures, be-
cause long staple cotton and wool
were protected. and imports of cot
ton manufactures decreased from
$97 900 to- SSS,0O0, 900; wool
manufactures from $4,000, 900 to
$37 500 900.
Despite the increase in rates. there
were increases in imports Of onions,
lemons, vegetable oils, and cheese.
On the articles protected by the
Emergency Law, the decrease In I'm
ports was roughly from $1,33O,OOO,-
900 in 1921 to $63O,O00.0 900 in 1922.
In September 1922, the General
Tariff law was enacted. which gave
farm products high protection, prob
ably the highest they have ever en-
joyed. In the fiscal year 1920 we
imported over $500, 100000 OF
foodstuffs. crude and prepared. and
food animals and for the fiscal year
ended June 80, 1924, the total was
only about 100000. 900.
The Democratic tariff law OF 1913
placed practically all the products OF
the north. east. and west farms on
the free list, but looked after the
rice growers. citrus fruit. and mo-
hair producers OF the south, as we'll
as the tobacco raisers. The Demo-
Gratis have in store for the farmer
the same free-listing OF his products
II they get in again, and probably
the farmer will asst mis- vote with
that idea in mind.