Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1929-05-17
Democrats VIII Stand Together.

That Democrats in Congress. both in the
House and Senate. will be as a unit in
their opposition TO unprecedented and far
reaching proposals in the administrative
sections Of the pending tariff revision bill.
introduced in the House last week, has
already been made clear. II is also likely
that many Republicans will join them in
opposing the proposed surrender Of con-
stitutional power TO the executive branch
Of the government by Congress.
Following conference Of Democratic
members Of the Ways and Means Commit
tee Of the House, called to consider the
pending bill. Representative John N. Gar
ner. ranking Democratic member Of the
committee and his psrys leader 10 the
House. issued statement predicting that
Democrats would be united 10 their oppo-
sition to what he termed these vicious
proposals.. Mr.. Garner said Democrats
would continue solidly their opposition to
the Fordney- McCunber act, continued in
even more vicious form In the proposed
new law. Experience has proved this pro-
vision unwise, and instead OF being used
TO revise tariff duties TO meet CHANGING
industrial conditions. il has been used
almost exclusively 10 jack up already high
rates A notable instance Of this was
when President Coolidge increased the duty
on pig iron fifty per cent, adding approx
mately $30.000.0O0 annually TO the levy
the Steel Trust collects annually from con-
sumers Of steel
Democratic Leader Garner characterized
a. probably the most vicious proposal in
the entire bill" the provision under which
absolute authority TO fix values. upon
which tariff duties are assessed, would be
conferred upon the Secretary Of the Treas
ury. The final authority to determine the
value Of imports on which tariff duties
are assessed 10 now lodged by law with
the U. 5. Customs Court. The pending Haw-
ley-SmOOt bill would take this power away
from the courts and give ii to the already
powerful Office Of the Secretary Of the
Treasury. Valuation" said Mr.. Garner,
lis the very heart Of the tariff. and to Give
the Secretary Of the Treasury the power
to determine values is equivalent to giving
him the power TO fix rates. This is a
power that ought not TO be delegated by
Congress to the Secretary Of the Treasury
OF anybody else
lr Is sxiomatic that the power to tax is
the power to destroy. To delegate to the
Secretary Of the Treasury the power to fix
import values. which amounts to authority
to nx the amount Of duty that shall be
collected upon imports. is to give him
power never heretofore delegated to any
Individual in the history Of the country.
Il 10 power under which a Secretary of
the Treasury could. IL he wished TO do il,
make or break any industry in the country.
The amount Of duty on importations col.
iected at the Customs House 10 determined
40 much BY the value placed on the i'm
ports as by the rate Of duty fixed by law.
1iven this power. a Secretary Of the
Treasury could fix the valuations upon
Imports 90 high as to amount to an en-
barge. which would give domestic pro-
ducers Of those particular commodities a
monopoly under which they could charge
any prices they wished for the products,
and the American consumers would be at
their mercy. with NJ appeal even to the
courts. On the other hand. u an unfaith-
full Secretary Of the Treasury wished to
destroy q domestic industry, he could SO
reduce values on which duties are assessed
on Imports as to permit food OF cheaply
made foreign products to be brought in
and thus destroy the domestric industry 8
market.
That this 10 a dangerous power that
ought not to be lodged with any individual
the Secretary Of the Treasury or anybody
else. Democrats in Congress are agreed
and they will solidly oppose this proposal
In the Hawley-Smoot bill. To enact such
proposal into law. they hold. would be
not only to confer dangerous power upon
an individual, but be a surrender Of the
taxing power which the constitution lodged
with Congress. the body that is RESPONSE ble
to the people. For the executive branch
OF the government to ask such power 10 to
seek to encroach on the constitutional
powers Of Congress-. and once this power
10 surrendered to an executive officer, il
would be difficult. II not impossible, to re
gain II. That II would afford opportunity
for enormous graft and corruption. should
an unconscionable man happen to obtain
the Office Of Secretary Of the Treasury,
nobody questions. Never before in the
history Of tariff making has such an un-
precedented or far-reaching proposal been
made to any Congress.
GA