Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-01
BY MARK SULLIVAN.
7 F this tariff revision should really 60
the way it seems headed. it may
1 be landmark in our history

the way 1t seems headed, it may
be a landmark in our history
4 politically and economically.
It Is far too early to say, but II the
bulk of the industrial rates should be
thrown out, If the industrial part OF
the tariff becomes a negligible mini
mum-in that event the turning point
is here. (To understand this tariff re-
vision one must always divide 1t into
two parts, regarding the industrial part
and the agricultural part separately
This Summer and this session Of Con-
gress may mark the high tide Of the
theory of protection for manufactures,
a political and economic theory that
has been In full force in America al
most steadily since the Civil War. The
present may be high tide for the old
theory and the beginning Of modifi-
cation Of 1t.
The rather sensational point at which
the tariff revision now Is can be best
stages from the beginning.
The official beginning is document,
the message which President Hoover
sent to this session of Congress as it
opened, in which he defined the pur-
pose of the session with respect to the
tariff.
Divided Into Two Parts.
President Hoover. like every one who
looks upon this tariff revision carefully,
divided it into two parts. AS respects
revision in the interest of farming, he
asked for IAN effective tariff upon agri-
cultural products that will compensate
the farmers higher costs and higher
standards Of living. The Gov
eminent has special mandate from
the recent election to revise
the agricultural tariff"
All the Presidents illusions to the
agricultural part of the tariff are in
the spirit of what was the common
understanding Of overwhelmingly,
that the revision Of the tariff on agri-
cultural products should be broad,
sweeping, generous.
AS respects the tariff on manufac-
lures, President Hoover's point Of view
was quite different. He said:
I'm considering the tariff for other
industries than agriculture
economic changes have placed
certain domestic products at a disad-
vantage, and new industries have come
into being, all Of which creates the
the schedules. It would seem
to me that the test of necessity for
revision is in the main whether there
has been substantial Slackening OF
activity in an industry during the last
few years, and consequent decrease of
employment, due to insurmountable
competition in the products of that
industry. 1t is not as If we were set
ting up new basis of protective duties.
We did that seven years ago.
What We need to remedy now Is what
may have resulted from shifts since
that time"
Important Words in Passages.
These words from President Hoover's
initial message are the charter Of this
special session of Congress as respects
the tariff. The passages are worth re-
membering. The important words in
them are limited" decrease of en-
ployment" and "slackening Of activity"
It looks now as If Congress, after sew
eral departures, may return to literal
compliance with this charter for lin
tied changes" as respects the industrial
part Of the tariff.
The departures from the Presidents
recommendations that have made this
tariff revision sensation began in the
ways and means committee Of the
Lower House.
That committee, writing the revised
tariff under pressure from manufacture
ing industries, went considerably be-
yond anything that could be said tc
conform to the word Limited" Tariff
beneficiaries In the industrial world
jeered at the idea that the revision OF
industrial rates should be limited. They
called for an old-faShioned general re-
vision Of the tariff. and to large ex-
tent the ways and means committee
responded. The committee called it,
work a REIMBURSEMENT" That word ap.
pears officially in the captions of the
official committee hearings. But, ir
fact, the work of the committee came
closer to being revision" in the ole
sense.
After the bill had been written BY
the ways and means committee and
arrived upon the floor of the Lower
House Of Congress a still further depar.
ture was made from the Presidents rec.
| concentrations. Members of the Lower
House. sensing" that the real program
was. in the words of one Republican
leader. throw her wide open," had each
a natural desire to get his share. II
the program was limited" that was
one thing. But If the program was
tive could afford to fail to get into the
procession. In the few days following
the arrival of the committees bill or
the floor of the Lower House more thar
hundred changes were made, anc
some of these were precisely the
changes that later caused commotion.
Hostile Reception From Press.
Thereupon the House passed the bill
and went to the country At that mo.
ment several influences went into mo.
ton.