Evening star., 1926-03-14
PARTyL|NES MARK
RUBBER REPORTS
Majority Urges Conservation,
While Democrats Hit
High Tariff Rates.

Dy tu0 hooVS1otOu ICpb'
Recommendations for meeting the
situation created by foreign monopo-
lies in rubber and other essential COM
modities were divided into party chan
nels in reports given the House yes
terday by its commerce committee,
which inquired into foreign control
Of crude products.
The majority report urged conser.
vation and rubber plantation develop
ment under the American flag to COM
bat restriction Of rubber growing In
British territory. with a consequent
advance in prices to American con-
sumers.
Four Democratic members of the
committee, Representatives Rayburn.
Texas: Huddleston, Alabama; Shallen
berger, Nebraska, and Parks. Arkan-
sas, attacked the majority report as
"indefensible under our existing high
tariffs"
Boycott" Plan Assailed.
Recommendations of the majority
report, submitted by Representative
Newton, Republican, Minnesota, also
urged renewed watchfulness" against
foreign controls. while Independent
sources of supply were being sought
for America. The Philippines were
pointed to as an excellent field for
rubber growing.
These views were assailed by the
Democrats as pointing toward boycott
and retaliation. A policy Of fair trade
methods and friendly relations must
be developed through mutual agree
ments, the minority held.
The majority report recommended
no remedial legislation, but said
frank discussion should secure aban
donment of restrictive practices" "11
the public Is not sufficiently pro-
tected." It declared. 1.-THE committee
win have no hesitancy in reopenine
the question"
REPRESENTATIVE Newton described
the report as preliminary. made with
the purpose Of making further report
to the House II tho occasion should
demand It."
Retaliation Opposed.
DEVELOPMENT Of the Muscle Shoals
nlant for production Of nitrates and Of
other available means for sisal. pot
ash. coffee, and silk were recon-
mended. Retaliation in the way OF
restriction Of American supply, CO.
operative buying, and Government
subsidies to private growers, as sug'
gested during the hearings. were
opposed as unwise economical prin-
ciples.
"Out side Of American territory
good possibilities for successful rub
ber culture appear to exist In the
Isthmus of Darien. Republic Of Pan
anna. Brazil. Colombia, other tropi--
cal parts Of South America and
Liberia" tho report said.
"Under the American flag. the
southern Philippines appear most
suitable. Under the existing Philip
pine land laws the holdings Of indi-
viduals or corporations are limited to
about $500 acres. This condition
should be altered by the Philippine
Legislature or by Congress. II 1t
chose to change the basic law under
which the islands are now admins
tered"
The committee. according to the
report, found that controls CT either
production or expectation, (which
materially affect prices" were exer-
cised by Great Britain over rubber;
Brazil over coffee; Chile over nitrates
and iodine: Germany and France
over potash; Egypt over long staple
cotton; Japan over camphor and SILK,
and Yucatan. Mexico. over sisal.
Other Recommendations.
Other committee findings and
recommendations in brief are as fol-
lows:
The price Of rubber was advanced
to 800 per cent Of the originally an
nounced fair price" under British
colonial restriction.
Brazil has curbed coffee produc-
ton at an estimated cost to Amer
lean consumers Of more than $780,
100000.
France and Germany control the
potash business of the world. De-
posits In Texas ard Utah are suf-
ficient to break this monopoly.
United States importers paid $11,-
600, 900 export taxes to Chile in 1924
on nitrate, which Muscle Shoals de-
velopment would make unnecessary.
Mexico gets more than $6.000,o0
excess profits from the American
farmer annually for sisal.
The United States takes so per
cent of Japans silk, while rayon,
q new fiber, nigh. replace every
Mound Of 1T II necessary,