Milford chronicle., 1929-09-13
THE TARIFF
By Alice H. Ross.

its inception in American politics; /;
therefore it will not be regarded
here from political standpoint but
in more important and vital issue
that of agriculture.
The farmers of some sections
have favored low tariff or none at
all, while some others have encour-
aged high one, and some on agri-
culture as well as manufactured
products, and, Notwithstanding the
long and heated arguments and dis
cussions, there is perhaps no public
economic question so little under
stood. Aboye everything else in the
tariff controversy, farmers need en-
} lightenment on it's economic effects.
They need to know how the tariff
affects the price of the products
they sell and also the price of the
products they must buy.
There are several arguments both
for and against the protective tar
iff. Some of these for protection
are that it protects domestic indus
tries against foreign competition; it
develops home market for agricu1-
tural products; it keeps wages high
and laborers employed by keeping
out imported goods produced by
cheap labor, and it can be used to
prevent dumping" of foreign goods
in domestic markets. On the other
hand there are those who are again
st it as that it interferes with the
most economical production and dis
tribution of goods; increases the
cost of living to consumers; taxes
some classes for the benefit of 9TH
ers, and leads to trusts and monop-
olies in protected Industries.
Accumulated wealth, experienced
capitalists and laborers, possession
of patents, and good markets give
the old country an advantage over
the new in manufactures, and if it is
allowed to ship goods without any
restrictions on trade, it can under
sell and thus injure the newer man
ufactures; while on the other hand
! agriculture generally predominates
in the new country. The supply of
most agricultural products has ex-
ceeded the domestic demand and
part of the supply has been export
, ed to foreign markets, therefore
making the tariff of no effect. Again
agriculture is more dependent on
the soil, climate and surface, also
weather conditions, and cannot,
therefore, be overcome by the arti-
fetal means of a tariff.
So far there seems to be advan-
tages and disadvantages to every
kind of solution of the problem. A
good argument would seem to be
home market for agricultural pro-
ducts in which tariff on manufac-
lures would encourage the growth
of manufacturing industries and
create a domestic market among in
dustrial workers for agricultural
products, but there seems to be
some difficulties with this argu-
ment. There being a surplus of the
leading agricultural products, the
world market determines the price
rather than the domestic market.
Individual production and the
tendency to overproduction among
farmers keep the prices of agricul-
tural products low.
AS there is no tariff, or at least
an ineffective one, on farm products,
and an effective one on other pro-
ducts, those on the farm tend to
have a low value and the others a
high value. There might be slight
adjustment to the tariff which
would be beneficial to each.
The wages that can be paid in an
industry are determined by the eco
nomic productivity of the industry.
Some plan thelhfore should be de-
vised so that all classes should re-
ceive equal tariff protection.
The first tariff of the United
States, known as the Report on
Manufactures, was brought forward |
by graduate of Kings College (now |
known as Columbia University and |
Secretary of the Treasury in Wash |
ington's Cabinet, Alexander Hamil- |
ton, in 1891, one of his opponents, |
advocating Agriculture and Free |
Trade" being no less a parsonage
than the celebrated Father of DEM
ocracy," Thomas Jefferson. Other
tariffs have been the American Sys-
tenn by Henry Clay; the Walker
Tariff of 1S46; Civil War Tariff;
the Tariff Act of 1890; the Wilson
German Tariff of 1894; the Dingley
Tariff of 1897; the Tariff Act of
1909; the Tariff Act of 1913, and the
Tariff Act of 1922, which is still in
duties being laid on
every farm product ex-
cept cotton, and evolving for the
first time in the history of tariff
making the representatives of the
agricultural West, out-and-out pro-
tectionists, who are demanding pro-
lection or a high tariff on all their
products, but most of these being
as we import only
small amounts or none of them at
all.
Other factors being taken in con-
under these various tar
ifs, success and defeat in agricul-
ture have alternated. The conclus-
ion is therefore reached that the
Tariff, either high or low, is not the
'panacea for the ills of agriculture"
After this review of the tariff from
an economic basis we would add to
the conclusion that there should be
4 great diversity of interests so as
10 give free bent to the development
IF the different kinds of industrial
,alent and the different kinds of re-
sources in the country. This in our
Judgment would appeal as much to
farmers, and be as helpful to them,
IS other classes, provided they
should receive effective protection
rom such a measure, and in fine
here should be reasonable tariff
enacted for all classes.
When Men Aren't Men
Roses are red,