Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-16

"SenSationaI Is o term applied by
some observers to the "round-robin"
statement from more than q thousand
economists protesting against the tariff
bill as framed In Congress. The effect.
however. is q subject Of controversy,
some supporters Of the protective policy
calling the economists traditional free
traders, while others support the pro-
tests against high duties and the effect
I'm their number" It Is pointed out
by the New York Times, ARE included
the skilled advisers of banks and great
manufacturing companies. Taken to-
gether, they speak for large body OF
specially educated opinion, which is
massed against the tariff bill with O
vigor Of conviction and expression quite
ence." The Times states "it is imposSi-
BILE to imagine President Hoover dis
missing light-heartedly. this solemn re-
monstrance" The Hartford Times.
however, suggests that "the spectacular
protest should have been made many
months ago TO have had helpful effect
upon the course Of legislation; that
eft Is now late for Congress to confess
voluntarily that 1t has been making
prodigious error"
Declaring that "the tariff has degen-
Grated from q well intentioned fiscal
policy OF o great party into the personal
and private grab game Of compara-
lively few millionaire industries" the
Portland (Oreg.) Journal declares: NO
body can question the sincerity of these
protesting experts. They are students
of economics. They are without bias
or prejudice. They have no interest in
the matter save interest in the public
welfare"
"The appeal sets the situation in its
true Light" says the Roanoke World
News. EFT does not 60 into extraneous
partisan issues, nor does 1t deal with
individual schedules. It does show that
the biil dement's the few ct the expense
Of the many; that 1t imposes q tax Of o
billion dollars q year on the American
people, only O small part Of which will
be collected into the Federal Treasury"
Emphasizing the present unpopularity
of the tariff bill, the Manchester Union
concludes: 80 the economists may en-
counter O more sympathetic response
to their criticism than might be re-
corded under other conditions from ele-
ments that are not brought to q change
Of view because of the manifesto, but
already have reached the conclusion
that previous middle has been made |
Of the project for q limited revision"
Among those who question the cor |
rectnesS Of the economists position Is |
the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, which |
contends: 1.-THE economists take the |
traditional Democratic viewpoint that
The American worker gains more as q |
consumer under low tariff than he
IAN gain as q producer under q protec-
i've tariff. Upon that theory the Amer
can people have long since turned their
packs, and as q rule and guide of polit-
cal faith 1t has been. in part at least,
.epudiated by the Democratic party"
LAS far back as the days Of James G..
Blaine and continually since" accord
ng to the Spokane Spokesman-Review.
the trend in the college faculties of this
country has been toward free trade or
/ tariff for revenue only. A poll of the
college faculties at any time would have
ecorded q verdict against the doctrine
II high protective tariff" That paper
that the protest sis more spec
acular than convincing" The Rutland
Herald describes the protesting persons
Is free traders, revenue-tariff advo-
ates. low-tariff special pleaders and
heoristS Of various kinds, mostly re-
moved from the necessities and exigen-
les Of trade and commerce" The Lin
DIN State Journal feels that there is
q free-trade smack to the subject mat
er Of the petition"