Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-28
TRADE UNALARMED
| BY TARIFF PLANS
Manufacturers Fear No Loss
+ of Protection Enjoyed
/ Under 1922 Act.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

= TO describe the attitude of manufac-
e1,rers as a group toward the Senate
Bearings on tariff revision entails many
Executions of course. 1t is TACT That
there is large group of manufacturers
united chiefly for tariff purposes. Their
principal Spokesman have expressed
their position since the Senate hearings
began. Roughly, it was to the effect
that in the House bill they got many
things they wanted, that they expect
10 keep these. and that they nope 10
get more in the Senate.
A more careful statement, however
would go farther back. First OF all,
manufacturers generally have no anNl-
fety about this revision, Such as Ihey
Nave had during preceding ones. Ihey
know there is no possibility oil TINS re-
vision turning into o revision down.
ward. Not even the most extreme west
ern Republican and hardly amy Demo
graf suggests that.
Senator Borahs proposal went no
Farther than to demand that the tarlil
on manufactures should remain where
1t now is, while agricultural products
alone should be revised upward. Even
If this Borah proposal had been adopt
ed. manufacturers generally would not
have been greatly disturbed, except SO
far as increases on raw materials raised
IN farms might have made compenSa-
tory raises necessary on the manulac-
Rures affected. Senator Borah was
quite willing that such compensatory
raises should be given.
A Satisfied State Of Mind.
The net of this is that manufacturers
A1ave no fear of losing any protection
Nhat they now have under the McCum-
foer-Fordney tariff. written in 1922: TINS
freedom from apprehension makes
satisfied state of mind. An important
.1ronseouence of it is that this tariff
revision cannot cause interruption OF
business activity The discussion in
Congress could go on for year WITH
out entailing any reduction In volume
of business. If the discussion should
end in no revision at all, which IS
within possibility, manufacturers would
Femain where they have been Tor seven
wears past under the McCumber-tord-
Sley bill. That this condition would be
uuite satisfactory to business Is Suf1l-
ciently proved by the prosperity bust
mess has enjoyed during those seven
wears The present tariff revision was
not sought by manufacturers. III the
initiative had been left to them, there
would have been no revision. Inc
pending revision was brought about by
farm leaders and in the interest of
farmers. The idea of revising some
manufacturing schedules arose as, so
to speak, a postscript.
To what has been said so far there
are some exceptions. A very limited
number of businesses, chiefly textiles,
make a tenable claim that they have
not adequate protection under the Nc
Cumber-Fordney law. Such businesses
are, of course, anxious that the pend
ing revision give them adequate raises.
The number of such industries is very
small compared to industry as whole.
It was fully intended that this limited
number of businesses actually suffering
from lack of enough protection should
be cared for as, so to speak, supple
Hnentary incident Of the revision of
farm schedules.
A Rush for Raises.
To turn to the condition that arose
after tariff revision got under way.
there is no doubt that at that time
whole groups of manufacturers began
to rush for raises. During the Winter
and Spring when the ways and means
committee of the House was writing
the bill, spokesman for manufacturers
made loud demands for a wholesale
general revision taking in all manu-
featuring schedules. To some extent