Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-16
OPPOSITION TO TARIFF
REFLECTED IN u. S. PRESS
Thumbs Down Attitude Found in West,
Northwest and Southwest Held
Typical of Nation.


In one respect, an extreme and doubt
full respect, the tariff does not do what
few farm representatives asked. Some
spokesman for the farmers went beyond
asking for complete protection for every
crop now raised In the United States.
Some invented a new and extreme
| theory of protection, going beyond any
thing ever before demanded. This more
extreme, almost fantastic, demand for
agriculture can be stated roughly as
follows:
Excepted Class of Importations.
There are some products imported
| into the United States which are not
raised on any American farm and can
not be raised here. Characteristic
items of this kind are bananas, ssgo
| and tapioca. AS to this class of prod
ucts. some farm representative said that
while American, farms cannot raise
these crops, they can raise substitutes
for them. Hence the theory was put
forth, and the demand was made. that
tariff should be put on these products,
in order to make them more expen-
sive. Whereupon-according to the
theory--corn Ccornstarch) would be
used in place of sage and tapioca, and
Arnefican-raised fruits would be used
in place Of bananas.
was not acceded to in the present
tariff. Other than this one detail the
new tariff does substantially everything
that was asked for on behalf OF the
farmers.
It will be seen that, as respects agri-
cultural products, the intention was,
and the performance is, broad and very
generous upward revision of the tariff.
Turn now to that part of the tarin
I'll. l. a. - ~54 fltaYral
commodities. AS respects these, the
original intention was that only such
industries as are clearly In distress from
foreign competition should be treated
In the present revision. The outstand-
/ ing example was the textile industry,
in which there is, and has been for
several years, severe depression, includ-
ing unemployment.
Where Limitations Are Needed.
That the tariff revision, as respects
non-agricultural industries, should be
limited to cases of obvious and ad-
mitted need, was the clear intention
at every step of the series of events
that led up to the making of this tariff
The evidence of this is to be found in
every important Republican campaign
utterance last year. 1t is to be found in
President Hoover's repeated use of the
word Limited including his use of
that word In his message to Congress.
It is 10 be found In the phrase of
Speaker Longworth "as few In number
as possible" when he dealt with the
tariff program in his address on the
opening day of the session.
Whether this program of innitation
Gas respects non-agricultural industries)
was exceeded by the ways and means
committee when 1t got. down to the
work of actually writing the new tariff
that Is still an academic question. |
But 1t is only academic. AS question
of practical politics, as matter of
Interpretation by the country, there Is
not much dispute. Some Republican
spokesman still contend, although de-
fensively, In rather half-hearted way,
that the revision conforms to the pro-
gram. But the overwhelming tendency
now, practically taken for granted, is
that the revision goes beyond the pro-
gram. The bill raises the tariff on
various items In a large range Of nom
agricultural industries. Included In this
range are the three items that have
caused the most conlmotion. Cement,
brick and some forms of lumber, In
Guiding shingles, are taken OF the free
list are given the benefit of protec-
tive tariff These three items have be-
come, In the farming sections of the
country especially, the symbol Of the
Objectionable aspects OF the new tariff.
Held as Extreme Interpretation.
The tariff on one of these items, ce-.
ment, illustrates new and extreme in
depreciation of the protective tariff
theory. OF the cement consumed in the
United States, only about az per cent
Is imported. Here Is case where, do
nestle manufacturers had 98la per cent
of the trade-yet they asked for a
tariff which should exclude. or greatly
reduce, the tiny remainder, liz per
cent. This is practically demand for
an exclusive tariff, and the House bill
grants 1t. This step, in sense, is
new landmark in the evolution Of the
protective tariff theory. 1t may turn
out to be the straw that broke the
camels back. AS a landmark it may pos
sibly mark the beginning Of a gradual
evolution in the other direction, toward
an older and more moderate interpreta-
ton of the protective theory.
We now come to the immediate future
and the future is rather more COM
| pick than is commonly assumed.
The tariff BILL passed by the House,
has gone to the Senate. Bearing IN
mind the distinction between the agri-
cultural and non-agricultural portions
Va tic JILL, COIiStO6T IlISG The dtbituQc
OF the Senate toward the agricultural
items.
The senate's attitude, up to date
| certainly, Is ident1c1s with what has
been so far the attitude of the coun-
try as whole. It Is an attitude of
| tolerance toward generous protection
indeed toward extreme protection, for
all agricultural products.
| 1t is quite certain that the Senate
VIII go fully as far as the House has
already gone in giving generous protec-
ton to agricultural commodities.
Query Put Up to Senate.
| How, then, can the Senate do more
Tor the farmer that the House has
already done? What is meant by the
Minneapolis Journal when it advocates
keeping what has already been won
and securing every possible further con-
cession"
What some farm spokesman want,
In addition to high protection for farm
| crops, Is wish that turns and looks
upon manufactures from the point Of
view OF the consuming farmer. Some
farm spokesman demand that the tariff
on agricultural goods shall at the
least not be increased, and perhaps In
some cases should be reduced.
In this attitude on behalf of the
farmer there Is more reason than the
| Eastern manufacturer may at first
glance concede. The phase that ran
through all the preparations for this
I session of COneregs and for this tariff