Evening star., 1928-12-16
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

w WIEN the Seventy-First Con-
n gress is called into special
AN session by President Herbert
Hoover some time in 1929, 1t
will be the scene of po-
litical miracle. 1t will witness the
unprecedented spectacle of Democratic
Representatives and Senators actively
cooperating with Republicans IN re-
vising the American tariff upward.
Representative John N. Garner OF
Texas, ranking Democratic minority
member of the ways and means COM
,nittee, is likely to be found in the fore
front of that movement. Specifically
supporting Mr.. Hoover's prediction
advocacy of higher tariffs on agricul-
,ural products, Representative Garner
,.eclares that his Democratic colleagues
are in hearty sympathy with that
proposal and would like to see 1t
enacted into law "at the earliest pos
sible moment" AS to higher rates on
manufactured products, the Texas
Representative asserts he favors pro-
tecting American labor at the custom
house."
Dixie Needs Protection.
It is the Democratic South which will
be in the van of the tariff revision
program, although Democratic MEM
berS of Congress from the industrial
North and the agricultural West Will
probably be marching shoulder to
shoulder with them. 1t is not generally
realized that Dixie nowadays is almost
as dependent upon protective tariffs as
New England. North Carolina, for in
stance, has largely superseded States
like Massachusetts, and Rhode Island as
the textile center of the country. The
Carolinian tobacco manufacturing trade,
too, finds protective rates vital to Its
prosperity. Alabama, with vast and
growing iron and steel industry, has
the same interest in tariffs defending
it from foreign competition as PennSyl-
vania has, Louisiana wants its sugar
industry fortified by tariffs against the
danger of ruinous rivalry from abroad.
Sensation of Campaign.
The Manufacturers Record of Balti-
more has recently polled Democratic
members of Congress regarding their
views on the tariff question. The
Record based it's inquiries on the ad-
vanced ground Gov. Smith took at
Louisville in favor of protective tariff.
Later Chairman Raskob stated that 10
per cent of the Democratic Repre-
sentatives and Senators and candidates
/ for Congress had signed a statement
! indorsing the 1928 Democratic platform
/ plank on the tariff and Gov. Smiths
| Interpretation of it at Louisville. The
apparent scrapping of their ancient low
| tariff views by the Democratic party
was one of the sensations OF the re-
cent campaign. That action is now
on the verge of being translated into
| deeds, as will be shown when the new
Congress comes to grips with tariff
revision.
View Of Mr.. Garner.
Representative Garner, who will be
responsible for the Democratic tarlff
policy in the incoming House, has set
forth his view in letter to Texas
newspaper. 1t reads, in part, as follows
THE Democratic position, am sure,
will be a helpful one. When We critl-
cize we hope to offer some constructive
remedy. Only where the majority may
offer legislation violating the principles
on which our Government is founded
will we offer opposition without remedy.
In other words, as party, we nope 10
serve the country in constructive way
| and thereby better serve the interests
of the party organization. ~Of course,
| the entire tariff schedule should be re-
adjusted. Some items need to be in
creased. especially agricultural products,
and a number of items in the present
rates are entirely too high
$50 far as 1 recall, there was no
material criticism of the Democratic
platform adopted at Houston. eX-
pect and hope my Democratic colleagues
will all join in attempting to carry into
force and effect the pledges contained
in that document. We expect to offer a
program based upon such an idea, al
ways hoping that the majority will
offer a program themselves. that will be
of service to the country and one IN
which We, as party, will join as far
as possible"
Support Protectionist Idea.
Representative Charles R. Crisp of
Georgia, another Democratic member
of the ways and means committee, in
formed the Manufacturers Record that
he never had been a free-trader and
had always favored tariffs sufficient to
eoualize the cost of production in this
country and abroad Representative
Whitmell P. Martin, Democrat, OF
Louisiana said that he "is and always
has been a protectionist," and, While
disappearing tariff duties which might
promote monopolies, believes that both
the agricultural and industrial inter-
up from the House. 1t now goes to
conference. Expenditure OF Sl65,OUO,-