Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-09
Tariff Revision.

Nigh GarllI, low bdIlI UIlO Tree Iduc
elements are already beginning to open
their barrage on Congress and the in
coming administration. Dire forebod-
ings are advanced, particularly in DEM
ocratic quarters. There it is predicted
that he who hampers with the tariff
courts disaster
The plain truth of the matter is that
the Fordney- McCumber tariff act needs
revision by the amendment route rather
than a complete rewriting of the law.
The present tariff law is the product
Of tho Republican Congress which as
sembled in 1921, when the late Presi-
dent Harding took office. The new law,
which may be called the Hawley-Smoot
law, In honor of the chairmen Of the
House and Senate committees dealing
with the tariff, necessarily will be built
along the same line of protection. It
has been recognized for some time that
any attempt at farm relief must include
q revision upward of the agricultural
schedule. It has been recognized, too,
that some of the other schedules need
revision, particularly those dealing with
the textile industry.
Doubtless an effort will be made by
certain manufacturing interests to OBJ
tain materially higher rates of duty.
The demands in some cases will be ex-
cessive. The hearings before the House
ways and means committee now in
progress have already shown as much.
It win be the task of the President
elect and his advisers in Congress to
prevent the establishment of inordi-
nately high rates, while at the same
time doing justice to American manu-
factufers. 1t may be recalled that in
1909 Republican tariff Jaw, the Payne
Aldrich act, was written by Repub-
lican Congress, with dire results. A
veto of that law, because of excessive
rates, by the then President Taft might
have changed political history. That
tariff law aroused resentment and criti-
cism and contributed. to the Progressive
uprising which split the party in 1912.
President-elect Hoover, If reports be
correct, does not intend to permit the
demand for high protective rates to get
out Of hand In his conferences with
Republican leaders, among them Sen
ator Smoot, chairman of the Senate
finance committee, Mr. Hoover has soft
pedaled the idea there shall be a
blanket upward revision of the tariff
schedule. Pressure is being brought to
bear from many angles upon members
OF Congress, however, for an increase
in rates on all kinds of manufactures
O. well as upon agricultural products.
Suggestion of an impregnable tariff
wall about the United States Is arous-
ing criticism in Europe and Canada.
Threats of retaliation are in the air.
Further, 1t has been forecast by Sem
ator Smoot and others that Democrats
in Congress will seek to embarrass
the Republicans by introducing tariff
amendments proposing rates higher
than the Republicans are ready to 60,
though not higher than the demands
of the producers. Such tactics are be-
coming common Democratic practice.
They were tried in the last tariff-re-
duction fight and more recently in the
Harris amendment providing $4,000, 900
additional for prohibition enforcement.
It is clear that the task of tariff re-
vision will require wariness, sound judg-
ment and firm hand II Mr.. Hoover is
not to meet a serious check early in
his administration.