Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-22

~ mOOQ, asks AIlOJIleT OeLluJOT
NM in a similar jovial mood, a
question which calls for an
emphatically negative an
swer, the reply is quite likely to take
just now the cryptic form Of Yes. We
have no bananas today"
That phrase is current Senate slang
and persiflage for nothing doing" or
thumbs down." or any other t1nality
Of negation If the Senators were IA
miliar with current popular songs, one
might imagine, let us say, the very
dignified Bingham, of Connecticut, not
stopping with the mere phrase. One
might visualize him lifting his voice in
the melody of the Banana" ditty, with
words that literally are to be found in
the tariff debates:
We have soy beans and onions.
With vitamins in abundance;
We have New England potatoes
And California tomatoes,
With calories galleries.
But yes! We have no bananas,
We have no bananas today.
Arose in Hearings.
The banana and the refrain of the
banana song attained its place in sena-
torial circles through an incident in
the tariff hearings.
The largest farm organization in the
United States is the American Farm
Bureau Federation. It's Washington
representative is Chester H. Gray. He
and other representatives Of farm
organizations have invented slogan
AS used in their formal demands on the
Senate for tariff protection the slogan
is that "the principle of competition
through substitution be recognized" In
other words, Mr.. Gray asked that the
American farmer be protected from for
eign competition through what he calls
substitutes.
The phrase will probably sound cryp-
tic to readers of this article. 1t sounded
cryptic to the Senators on the finance
committee when they first heard 1t.
Some of the Senators Though there
are exceptions) think 1t means an ex-
tension of the protective tariff prin-
ciple beyond anything ever suggested
before. Mr.. Gray insists it isn't an ex-
tension of the protective principle at
all. AS to whether 1t Is or is not
new thing in tariffs the reader may
judge when he understands what Mr..
Gray wants
Gray's Statement.
Mr.. Gray, appearing before the Sen
ate committee, gravely said:
I'VE have asked for a 75-cent rate
per bunch on bananas for the primary
reason that bananas are carbohydrate
food, very largely starch. In that class
they compete with potatoes, wheat
corn. rice and some vegetables.
Senator Bingham Of Connecticut, Ill
obvious irony at this application of the
protective tariff principle, asked, with
a manner of assumed ignorance:
What county Is it where bananas
are grown?"
The witness thought Senator Bingham
must have said country" but the Con-
necticut Senator said no; he meant
what county or what State In the
United States" Mr.. Gray was obliged
to admit they are not produced here"
Thereupon Senator Bingham, with an
old-fashioned, orthodox Republican and
orthodox New England notion Of the
theory of protection, said, I'VE are
protecting home industries"
Senator Watson Of Indiana, with IN
tellectual curiosity about this extension
of the protective principle, remarked,
You mean indirect or collateral pro-
lection, under the theory that If man
does not eat a banana he will eat an
apple or something else" Mr.. Gray
eagerly responded, Yes" and Senator
King of Utah unsympathetically inter-
jected, "Or go hungry"
Thereupon a condition arose IN the
room which caused the chairman, sen.
ator Smoot, to say, Let us have order. y
Senator Bingham, however. could not
forego asking Mr.. Gray question ex-
pressing innuendo by analogy, DO you
not think we ought to put tariff on
French novels, so as to make people
read more novels in English?"
Mr.. Gray refused to be moved to
POPULARITY. With the. utmost serious
ness he dwelt at length on his doctrine
of protection against competition
through substitution" as illustrated by
bananas, sage, tapioca. cassava and
some other tropical products. "One OF
the most subtle forms of substitution
which confrontS agriculture" he SAID
ais the displacement Of American fruits
by the tropical banana" He demanded
a tariff of IS cents bunch: That, as
Senator Bingham pointed out, would oe
about cent per banana, or nearly ZUO
per cent on original cost. Senator King
of Utah remarked forthrightly, II will
say Mr.. Gray, that am opposed to
your proposition"
Spoke for Wheat.
Mr.. Gray, representing all varieties OF
farmers, attacked the banana as an
agency undermining American potatoes.
wheat, corn and rice, as well as Amerl-
can fruit He was followed by G. f..
burst. Mr.. burst, representing the ma
tional Horticultural Council, devoted
himself mainly to the defense OF the
American people, though he generously
spoke up for wheat and corn also.
Mr.. burst deplored attempts TO place
this banana question in the class OF q
joke" - .,,os
ats there any way to predict how many
apples a man would eat If he could not
As to that Mr.. burst did not know,
but he avowed that the banana rs not
equal to the American fruits In health
value or food value" At that Senator
Rinrhan1 reminded the witness he was
i:nder oath. Whereupon the witness
admitted, IF you want to consider
caIory values alone. you can buy caiory
vaI,Ie a little cheaper in bananas than
in some American fruits, though not IN
all Of them"
room was suggested by the remark OF
"Can we not do something to expedite
these hearings?"
THE chairman, harassed Senator
Smoot, said, with a tone Of despair: !
am doing everything can to expeoite
them" =
Brief on Bananas.
The representative of the National
Horticultural Council departed. But &c
left behind him brief. 1t was very
formidable brief. Added to other pleas
and briefs, it made a grand total OF
more than 10000 words on bananas and
the need of tariff thereon: That Is
as much as a small book. Every one
of the 10000 words was serious, excep.
tionally serious. At least they were all
meant to be serious.
Mr.. burst laid down theory about
food:
appetite is simply the result OF a
demand of the body for food nutrients
and calory value. Taste may infiuenre