Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-05-13
A DIFFERENT PROPOSITION

Some may recall that when the
last tariff measure was before Con-
gress evidence was produced to the
effect that importers of certain
articles were charging the American
consumer fully as much as they
would under a high tariff; in other
words they were in a position to
charge all the traffic would bear and
were doing so, regardless of the low
prices which they paid abroadA
With regard to certain important
imports it appears the foreign pro-
ducers, rather the foreign manipu-
lators are enabled. regardless OF
tariff,to fix an exorbitant price and
compel the American consumer to
pay it. Rubber, because of recent
disclosures, is an instance pointedly
illustrating this situation. though
rubber by no means is the sole
product through which foreigners
are endeavoring to exploit consum-
ers on this side of the water.
Director Klein Of our Bureau of
Foreign and Domestic Commerce
declares that:
mo less than 20 per cent Of our
total imports, valued at over $780,
100000 are thus jeopardized through
the arbitrary dictates of foreign po-
litical CONFERENCE.-The which are
the very foundation stones of In
dustry in this country. Great sec
tons of our agriculture could not
exist without certain foreign ferti-
lizers and sisal binder Irvine. Rub
Der is absolutely indispensable for
those two fundamental elements in
our economic administrations
tive transport and the electrical in
dustry. Coffee has become an al
most indispensable contribution to
comfort even in the humblest house
hold.
Furthermore, there Is the sig
nificant consideration that in addi-
ton to this group comprising 20 per
cent of our overseas purchases there
is further 80 per cent made up Of
commodities SO concentrated in one
or two countries in each case as to
lend themselves very readily to such
political manipulation. The profess
Sed purpose of these controls is
sterilization at a reasonable level.
but the actual result of each control
all too frequently has been to raise
prices periodically to exorbitant
levels. The United States in prac-
tically every case is the chief con-
sumner of these raw materials and
accordingly is the Nation to pay
foreign producers. The high stand
ard of living and prosperity of our
people based on their efficiency and
high wages, makes these products
more essential to us than to foreign
Nations.
These facts are better recognized
among producers abroad than by
consumers in this country. So long
as attempts at control were con-
fined to comparatively unimportanr
commodities, defensive action was
not essential, but with the spread of
this doctrine to first-class world
Power and to our leading imported
raw materials, and with the recent
abandonment of any pretense of
sterilization of prices at an eco
nomic level by certain foreign pro-
ducers, an acute realization of the
dangers of the situation and the
necessity of defensive action is fore
ed upon u.s."
Here it appears we have some
thing needing more of our consider
alton than do present tariff rates to
equalize the costs Of production as
| between this and foreign countries
| There is in the theory of a pro-
tective tariff properly levied moth
ing warranting extortion. A like
policy on the part of the foreigner
should not be objected to but extor-
ton is an altogether different prop
| osition.