The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-09-12
Senator Simmons Outlines
Democrats Opposition
as Debate Opens.
PREDICTS H. C. L. BOOST
Measure Declared Framed
to Meet Requests of
Big Corporations.
BY PAUL r. MALLON
United Press staff Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Sept 12.-The
Democratic party has progressed
from the old theory of tariff for
revenue only and will fight now for
a competitive tariff based upon the
difference of cost of production at
home and abroad, Senator Funifold
Simmons of North Carolina, the
Democratic tariff spokesman, told
the Senate today in opening formal
debate on the pending Republican
s600,000,0 900 tariff bill
The slight frame of the North
Carolina senator, who fought his
party presidential nominee, Gov
ernor Smith, in the last campaign,
shook as he denounced the Repub-
lean bill, a measure which he said
would raise the cost of living and
DO the farmer no good.
The Republicans, Simmons said,
have advanced from the theory of a
protective tariff to g. position of
practical exclusion of foreign prod
ucts which new theory, Simmons
contended, was exemplified in the
pending bill.
Simmons left no doubt that he in
tended to speak for the party in
propounding his tariff philosophy.
Chamber Crowded
Il do not want, and the party
does not want to see any American
industry Swamped by foreign COM
petition" he said. before a senate
chamber crowded to hear the first
set speech on tariff.
But it does not wish to build a
wall around this country so high
as to practically shut off importa-
ton of foreign products and at the
same time cut off or unduly restrict
the expectation of American prod
ucts.
Simmons said the Republican bill
was framed to meet the requests OF
big corporations for higher rates so
they might build up more solid
monopolieS in the United States.
: The farm rates are merely an excuse
because so few farm products are
imported into this country. He
called the farm rates fake rates"
and "quack duties" which would be
useless and Ineffective
Boost Excessive Rates
81 am opposed to the bill because
it discriminates against the great
mass of American consumers in ia
vor of the already protected
industries" he continued, because it
will raise the excessive rates OF the
present law to basis in many in
stances but little short OF absolute
prohibition and exclusive of COM
petitive products from abroad; be-
cause it will increase the cost of
living. already abnormally high, and
encourage further monopolization
and price-fixing in the over-pro-
tected industries.
7 am oppoSede to It because it
disregardS the fundamental fact that
our prosperity depends largely upon
our international trade and imposes
undue barriers and restraints which
would tend to limit to a highly
preiudicial extent, our interchange
of commodities with the nations OF
the earth.
Encourage Inefficiency
4 am opposed to it because 1t
encourages ineff1ciency, extrava-
gance. mismanagement and waste
in certain units of our protected in
dustries and penalized the great
mass of American consumers by the
imposition of a sufficiently high tar
III tax to guarantee profits and pros
perity to the lame ducks in the in
dustry while at the same time in
creasing to that extent the eXces-
sive rates already enjoyed by the
efficiently managed units in that in
6ustry.
Il am opposed to this bill because
many of its rateS-especially those
on agricultural products-are utterly
or practically useless and are calcu-
lated, if not intended. to mislead,
If not deceive, those who are sup
posed to be benefited by them"