Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1929-08-16
Convincing Arrangement.

attitude on the proposed tariff robbery bill
was that made by Senator Swanson, Of
Virginia. who cited the Year Book of the
Department Of Commerce to show the alb
solute lack Of legitimate excuse for further
exactions at this time.
President Hoover specified in his words
to the extra session Of Congress that tariff
revision should be limited to notifications
helpful to the farmer and to a few special
industries where il could be shown ,ha,
there was depression, res ultine IN unem-
ployment. due to foreign competition. The
President. however. has made no move to
stop the raid either in the House, when the
Haw'ey bill was formulated, ur in the Senate
Finance Committee, where its foremost
Senatorial friends have been prosecuting the
foray even beyond what Hawley thought.
According to the Department Of Com
MERGE. of which Mr.. Hoover was the head
during most Of the period covered by the
Year Book just issued. American manu-
facturers last year reached the highest
prosperity level in our history. "Unem-
ployment was checked" il says, "aRricul-
tural production and foreign trade greatly
increased. and new records established for
financial transactions"
Under the conditions as shown by the
Department over which Mr.. Hoover pre-
sided for seven years, it is difficult to find
any OF the industries entitled to higher
protection according to the formula laid
down by the President himself.
Senator Swanson sets out. referring TO
the pending bill, "On clothing. footwear.
building materials and the varied manu.
fsctured products Of general consumption.
large increases Of tariff rates are made.
This revision OF the tariff will further de-
press agriculture and increase burdens,
which is contrary to campaign promises -
According to the Department of Com
merce. The business Of the United States
In 1928 was on the highest level ever at
tanned. continuing the prosperity charac-
teristic OF every year since 1921 and
rejecting steady efficiency of both indus
try and trade"
Without waiting for the enactment Of
the tariff bill. President Hoover recently,
through the flexible provisions operating
through the Tariff Commission. lifted the
rates on glass as near to the figures proposed
in the Hawley act as the law permitted.
Yet, according to the reports of his own
Department Of Commerce. the glass indus
try was mentioned as one of those show
Ing particular evidence Of prosperity.
The bill pending in the Finance Commit.
tee cOntemplates duty Of 80 per cent. on
cement. Former Tariff Commissioner David
j. Lewis, after recent investigation of
the cement business in the United States.
shows the various cement groups as enor-
mOusly prosperous. The biggest Eastern
plant. for example, has been declaring
annual dividends averaging 470 per cent
on the original investment. The Pacific
Coast and central States companies Of the
same sort are paying from 10 to "a per
cent annually and all of them have records
Of stock dividends which have multiplied
the value Of the original shares.
Cement is also mentioned by the Depart
ment Of Commerce Year Book as among
the most fiourishing Of American industries
The classical example Of sugar is an
equally conspicuous indication Of the ruth
lessness Of the effort to repay MANIFOLD
the investments Of the big industrialists in
the shape Of contributions to last years
Republican campaign funds. The outcry
throughout the nation. regardless Of party
at the plan of the Hawley bill to take an
additional 500. 0O0. 900 out Of the people 4
sugar bowls was so vehement that It scared
Senator Smoot, the original apostle Of ex-
and induced him to camoufiage the loot by
a sliding scale system.
Senator Simmons. OF North Carolina
promptly exposed this by demonstration
that II accomplished the same extortior
by more tortuous process. Former Tariff
Commissioner Lewis. in a more elaborat,
analysis Of the Smoot scheme. shows tina
the sliding scale advocated by the Utai
spokesman for the beet sugar men demon
strated that not only would it increase tn.
cost Of sugar 100000 900. but, in add
tion. il placed the price to the consumes
at the highest figure, making 1t impossible,
that he would be able to take advantas,
Of fluctuations that might lower the cost
Lewis presents that sliding scale with 6
tariff rate Of l.55 cents pound, with sueal
at 4.45 cents and no duty at all when the
price reaches 6 cents. on refined sugar
would be the only logical plan OF the sor
based On the differential between foreign
and domestic production as shown by the
Tariff Commissions research.
Smoot would make cents the basic
price, and no matter how high sugar went,
there would still be duty on il.
There may be significance to the state
ment made by Senator Smoot. after his re.
turn from a weekend outing with the
President, that Mr.. Hoover was favorable
to his sliding scale subterfuse.
From whatever angle the SmOot- Hawley
tariff is approached, the vista is the same
"a deliberate purpose to improve the oppor-
tunity afforded by the pretext Of helping
the farmer to grant uncomfortable addi-
tional profits. at the expense Of the public,
to those interests which have already been
most successful in heapins up dividends.
Three and possibly four additional cleo
tion precincts are to be established in
this county as result Of the decision by
the recently reaPpointed board Of super
visors Of elections The first (Bethesda)
precinct Of Bethesda district is to be d.
vided into two precincts; the second
Chevy Chase) precinct Of Bethesda dis
trict into two. and one. or possibly two