Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-14
TARIFF ISDISCUSSED.
BY HOUSE LEADERS
HawIey and Garner Tell Pur-
posesSin Radio Forum
Addresses.
Continued From First Page.)

pressed the belief that agriculture is
peculiarly affected by tariff rates.
II think it is agreed by all" he said,
"that the present tariff law In its IN
cipiency greatly discriminates against
agriculture. and that one of the eco
nomic causes for the condition of agri-
culture during the past eight years has
been the want of protection for certain
of its products. and the high prices the
farmers have had to pay for the overly
protected manufactured products"
Chairman Hawley's speech in full
follows:
The committee on ways and means of
the House Of Representatives, of which
am chairman, is nearing the compile
ton of its preparation of the readjusted
tariff of 1929. We have considered that
the existing tariff has served the
country well in protecting the greater
proportion of the products of the
country which need protection. There
are, however a number of products new
in industry and minor proportion OF
products for which protection is pro-
vided in the existing law that need a
readjustment of duties on imported
competing commodities, in industry as
well as in agriculture. >. IS not the
intention of the committee to disturb
duties which are working well.
b. Testimony Carefully Studied.
In the preparation of the forthcoming
bill the testimony of the LOO witnesses
appearing at the hearings has been
carefully studied by the members of
the committee and by the Tariff Com
mission and its experts, who have
analysed and briefed the $4,000 pages
of evidence submitted during the hear
ings and are daily assisting the sub
committees and the committee by
verifying evidence already obtained and
by securing new or more detailed in
formation. The Departments of the
Treasury, Justice, Agriculture and Com
merce have contributed valuable assist
ance and information. However, the
Is Republican members Of the COM
mittee, who must and will assume the
responsibility, are working days and
evenings to produce a bill worthy of
this country and adapted to its needs
at this time.
1t may be said in passing that the
preparation of tariff bill never before
has caused so little disturbance in the
business and industrial world.
Since the passage of the tariff act of
1922 there have been material changes
in economic conditions in our own
country and in the world. The past
seven years have been years of more
remarkable developments in production,
trade and commerce than any similar
period in history. We have here further
developed existing industry, have Gre
ated new industries with new and val
liable products and have been met with
foreign competition from an increased
number of countries, two OF the latest
additions being Italy and Czecho-
slovakia.
There were presented for our consid-
Grafton at the hearings number of
products on which duties were asked
that have not been mentioned in pre-
ceding tariff acts, for the reason that
they have arisen since the last act
Several of these are of first Importance.
1t was noted during the hearings that
there is an increasing efficiency in for
eign labor Industries abroad are
adopting the latest types OF machinery
and employ in the management OF their
plants their own nationals trained In
our own factories or Americans so
trained. This increase in the efficiency
of foreign labor is especially important
to the millions of American workers.
The standards Of living abroad are NOT
keeping pace with the increased ef-
ficiency of the foreign worker, and their
increased output, improved in quality,
constitutes an increasing menace to the
American working people.
The American Market.
The principal part of the business Of
this country is done by Americans with
Americans. We produce new commodi-
ties or commodities in new and disable
forms to the approximate value OF w
hi1Iiny1 dollars for
agriculture, billions for mines. 63 Dill
lions for industry, with smaller amounts
for other items.
The American manufacturer dispoSeS
of more than 80 per cent OF his prod
ucts here, making the American market
nine times more important to him than
the foreign market. When he sells here
the profits accruing remain here Tor the
benefit of the stockholders VINO own
the industry and to increase the public
wealth; the wages paid to American
wage earners inure to their benefit and
comfort. and the expenditures made OF
wages. profits and the investment OF
capital have led to our unprecedented
development. The American Market Is
similarly important to agriculture,
whose best market is in this country.
In the pending bill we propose that,
while we have always said 1t was Amer
lea for the Americans politically,
IL shall be America for the Americans
economically. It. has been the custom
for the nationals of one country to
trade with the nationals OF others, put
no free country has ever acknowledged
the right of another country to trade
within its borders except upon permls-
sion given. usually in the form OF a
treaty: that is to say. the nationals OF
other countries have no inherent rlgnt
to sell in our markets and nave tnag
privilege only through the comfy OF
nations. The bill is. therefore. being
nrenared from the American stand
point, with, however, attention being
given to the value and Importance OF
exchange of materials with foreign
countries. This policy Of economic
America for Americans has Increased
the wealth of the country and made
our market the best Of them all.
Designed to Protect All Producers.
The protective tariff policy is designed
so protect the American producers OF
commodities of all kinds, and all per-
sons interested in such production, from
unfair competition from abroad. 1t deals
solely with the sales made within the
United States or its possessions. It has
no purpose to deal with sales OF Amer
ican-made goods when they are ex-
ported to other countries. There is nc
way by which we can extend the ad-
vantages of a protective tariff to cover
sales made in foreign lands. Neither
does the protective tariff propose tc
deal with conditions in the markets Of
this country when the question at issue
does not arise from unfair competition
from abroad.
All industries from time to time fine
that their production exceeds in some
degree the domestic demand and mus
find market for the excess somewhere
else, but such sales do not. come within
the purview or scope of operation OF
protective tariff. When SURPRISES oc-
cur, as it now happens to be in the cas-.
of several agricultural products, ane
provision for their disposal become!