New Britain herald., 1927-10-25


 leeWay of 50 per cent-thats how much he can raise or lower the duties. The tariff commission func- tions as an advisory body.
 But when it is found that an in- crease of 50 per cent will not equal ize the cost Of production at home and abroad, the President is author ized to substitute the selling price of the foreign article when 1t arrives in the American market as the basis for assessing ad yalorem duties.
 This vastly increases the possi bilities. and to date this method has twice been employed. Tn a taxime- ter case, for instance, the increase in duty amounted to 120 per cent. This probably thoroughly satisfied the taximeter manufacturers.
 Since the law was on the books there have been 15 increases in rate adjustments. and four decreases. The latter, it can be confidently as- stunned. did not harm anyone, not even the interests affected:
 For example. Alfred P. Dennis, vice chairman of the tariff commits sion and close friend of President Coolidge, explained the reduction on mill feeds this way.
 Mill feeds. as l understand
 it, represent the husk of the
 wheat. That is, you reduce the
 duty on the husk while you in
 crease it on the kernel. They increase the duty on wheat.
 which is 90 per cent of the worth of that grain, and they reduce it on the 10 per cent so l contend that the reduction in that case was a one tenth re duction." Other reductions affected similar important" items. viz: Boh-White , quail, paint brush handles, and ere sylic acid.
 The tariff commission later rec | commended reduction in the duties ! on sugar, but this, being an inn ! portant item did not receive the | approval of the President Since hat time Cuba has inflicted an eX port tax on sugar, with the result , that Cuban sugar will cost more. It may be noted that American sugar I interests own and control most of tho Cuban sugar industry. If the price of sugar in America doesn't cost more in future, the price at least won't slip. That's the main idea about tariff tinkerinG.
 The Fordney- Mc' 'umbcr tariff law presumes to permit American functionaries. to go abroad and ask i to sne the books of the manufactur- CTS of articles sold in tho American. market, so that the American gov
 ernment can come 10 an accurate conclusion Of the cost Of production abroad.
 These American functionaries
 have received rather rotten wei
 come wherever they have called. It
 is. difficult for a French porfumery manufacturer, to remain polite in
 the presence Of one of'tlreSe gentle
 men. Iii fact, the foreign manufac-
 turcrs have hc,u quite prcved at hat thy term American etfrontery.
 As ambassadors of good will. our
 cost production emissa ri"s abroad
 are painful Hops. The foreigners
 seem a unit in letting the Americans
 guess at their costs. What poor
 gucSsers they are can be noted from
 the, fact that after the duties on
 mems sewed straw hats were in
 creased by the President on Febru- ary 12. 19@6-said increase amount . ing 10 46 per c"nt-an avalanche of Italian straw hats entered the Unit
 ed States 10 undcrsell tho native
 variety. They We're sold right on
 Main street in New Britain; and on all the other Main streets. grcatl,
 10 the distress of the native stra W , lat makers
 The same Is true of British fell hats being sold here this fall. The price Is just enough below the Dan. , hury product 70 make If interesting If prohibition. religion and othe, , current issues io not monopolize the
 attention of politicians next veal the tariff, fleXibility and all, may bt , enc of the "rccurrinc issues" Bu such an issue wouldn't amount tt ? much considering it is more i'm , : portant 10 have men Of the prope,
 sympathics" on the tariff commis
 sion, and also a president with tn, ! proper sympathlcs.
 $ There might be some arg,lmen 9 over the method of arriving at f oasis for tariff rates but the gen . eral citizen knows little f anythin. $ about inc relative merits of "cond :, tions Of competition" and "cqualiz @ fns costs of production" The latte Q plan vas written into the Forllney