Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1929-03-15
JUST WHAT TARIFF ON
IMPORTS MEAN TO WORKMEN

1t is high time somebody in this
country asked: who is supposed to
be protected by our protective tar
iff?" 1t is high time somebody in
this country advertised the fact that
the importation of merchandise is
a privilege and not a right"
The last three days of the Tariff
hearings, concluded in Washington
on February q, were given over to
proposed notifications in the admin
/ istrative features of our tariff law.
One of these administrative features
has to do with the basis of value
which shall be used in assessing our
ad valorem duties.
When our tariff act now specifies
a duty of $50 on a commodity, this
$3.50 is, in the overwhelming major
ity of cases, assessed on the basis
of value of the commodity in the
foreign country. This system of bas-
inging our ad valorem duties on
foreign values has been a constant
source of trouble in our information
al relations, has made it possible for
INSCRIPTIONS importers grossly to
undervalue the commodities they
bring into this country, has de-
frauded our Government of customs
revenues, has deprived American
producers and labor of the protec-
ton Congress intended them to have,
and has given the dishonest impor-
ter an unfair advantage over his
honest competitor.
On the basis of this indictment of
foreign value, the tariff hearings
brought out the remarkable fact that
of all the witnesses appearing be-
fore the Committee, only one group
was opposed to change in the bas-
is of assessing our ad valorem du-
ties which would make it possible to
determine the value on which these
duties should be based within the
United States. And who was this
one group?
Was this one group American la
Dor? 1t was not. Was this one
group the American farmers. 1t
was not. Was this one group the
American manufacturers? 1t was
not.
These three great groups of Am
erican producers know they would
be much better off under a system
which assessed duties on value
determined within the United States.
Mr. Matthew Woll put American la
Dor on record in favor of the Amer
lean valuation plant. Industry after
industry, including iron and steel,
woolens and. worsteds, silk, carpets
and rugs, and many others asked
the Ways and Means Committee to
consider giving up foreign value in
favor of a form of domestic value
and to do this entirely on the merits
of the latter.
When, then, was. this one group?
1t was the importers of this country
who put themselves on record as
to giving up the system of
foreign value. A minority of one
they stood in Washington against
change which perhaps they felt
might result in the protective tariff
protecting American labor, agricul-
ture and industry.
Is this to be tolerated? Is this or
ganized minority in our economic
OO1C COhNOAh 10 b1O
amount of merchandise they can
bring into this country to displace
American-made merchandise, to be
to dictate the single most
provision in the whole
tariff law and to dictate
that this shall be to their own best |
interests and to their own advan-
tage?
1t is high time, therefore, that |
settled this question. And |
how? By protest from the pro-
1ucers of this country which shall |
be transmitted to Washington as
demand of the majority for whom
our laws are supposedly designed, |
hat the valuation basis of imports
coming into this country shall be
changed from foreign value to do
nestle value. Nothing else will do.
Foreign value must go, and on this
10 COMPROMISED