Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1929-09-27
Friday hO-nlns ...ssptembe q. 1929.
Senator Borah, Republican, De-
uounces The Pending Tariff
Bill.

AS usual the Republican advocates of
the pending tariff bill are claiming that
the Democratic opposition to il is simply
political manifestation of free traders
against any tariff measure.
Nothing could be less ingenious. How
ever. ii is understandable inasmuch as the
exposure of the evil quality of the Smoot-
Hawley bill-or as Chairman Shouse, of
the Democratic National Executive Com
mittee, more accurately described it in his
recent Boston speech, the Grundy- Reed bill
has made respectable defense of the
proposed monstrosity impossible.
The Democratic fight this time has moth
to do with the faults or virtues of the pro-
tective principle. tits a straieht-out battle
against fragrant effort to capitalize the
opportunity afforded by the Farm Relief
extra session for the benefit of a group Of
wealthy men and corporations, which, &C.
cordins to their own reports and to the
Department of Commerce, have been func-
tionine at the peak Of prosperity.
Speaking as protectionist, said Borah
of Idaho, in the Senate on September IS
Il cannot see how it can be well argued
that where exports are increasing and
imports decreasing. and we import only
4 per cent Of the amount OF manufactured
goods consumed in the United States, it is
necessary to extend the doctrine any fur
Their"
Senator BOrah presented figures to illus
trate the profits being made by corporations.
He pointed out that STA of these had in
creased their profits between 1928 and
1928 under the existing tariff 81 per cent.
The National City Bank, he said. makes the
statement that the earnings Of 375 manu.
featuring corporations during the first
quarter Of 1929 were 81 per cent above
the corresponding period Of last year. Com
ing down to individual corporations, he
showed that the United States Steel Com
pany had earned in the first six months
Of the current year $780,. 100000. At that
rate. it would have made fifty million dol
lars more by the end Of the year than 1t
made in 1928. He stated that the Beth
lehem Company had gained 1850 per cent
in earnings in the same six months, and
other big steel corporations had done
almost as well. In all fairness" said
Senator Borah. lin alljustice to the Ameri-
can people. how can we justify this bill |?
Aye. how can we justify the present law p
The lack Of legitimate excuse for GEN
tariff revision at this time is starkly dem
onstrated by the Republican Senator who
was Herbert Hoover's most effective ad-
vocate during last years Presidential
campaign.
BOrah's text was the injustice being
done the farmer. He said that for every
thousand dollars invested in 1920 in the
capital stock OF the International Harvester
Company through dividends and increases
in the market value of the stock the shares
now represent IS. 400. A thousand dollars
invested in the Case Threshine Machine
Company would amount to $3.50. and
the same calculation applied to the Deere
Implement Company. figures $8'77O. THE
most unconscionable and brutal record in
economic history of the United States when
we take into consideration the condition Of
the farmer since 1922" he said "is the
record Of those implement companies as
disclosed by their own figures"
He spoke Of the tariff on hides and the
compensatory duty it was sought to put
on leather products. Less than one pei
cent Of the shoes used in this country il
being imported" said Borah. But when
the trainers OF this bill laid duty of 10
cents ad valorem on hides they put an
unnecessary and unconscionable compen-
satory duty upon harness. upon shoes and
when the American farmer gets through
his hides will have cost him at least &C
per cent above his present realization"
"Wallace's Farmer" published in Iowa
edited by Henry A. Wallace, son of tn,
Secretary Of Agriculture under President
Harding, recently analysed the proposed
sugar duties in the pending bill. w,
fear" he wrote. 1.-The proposed tariff vii
cost the average farm family. directly o.
indirectly. at least SIS annually. The "a
cents increased tariff on each 100 pound,
will double or treble by the time the suga
reaches the consumer. If the tariff will
not increase the price on sugar Gas somt
of its apologists contend). then why d,
the beet sugar folks try to fool themselve:
by working for something that does then
no good 7"
''ln this comment" says an editorial il
the Louisville Courier Journal, from IN,
Republican son Of Republican leade
there is contained crystal grain of truth
which applies to every protective tariff
agricultural or otherwise. which the Repub.
iican party has so long fostered. Bee
growers and sugar refiners believe that tn,
sugar tariff will benefit them or they woulC
not be asking for it. But something thereb,
will be added to the cost Of living for every
family in the country. The same condi
tons apply 10 the devices, existing or pro
posed. on shoes or shelled peanuts-on
every article produced or manufactured by
any particular group Of citizens. When
these are benefited by protective tariff
everyone else foots the bill.
This editor Of farmers paper is a
more intelligent spokesman for the farmer.
than those professional representatives oil
certain so-called farmers organizations
who are calling for increased duties or
sugar"
The awarding Of contract for an inter.
state bridge over the north branch of the
Potomac River at Gormania to E. r. Mills
Of Charleston, W. Va, subject to formal
approval Of the Maryland Roads Commits.