Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-10
Rate by Mail-PayabIe in Advance.
MAITLAND and Virrirain
Farmers Attack Tariff.

Inc farmers are not satisfied with
the Senate tariff bill. This is stated
very clearly in a letter addressed to
the Senate by the official representa-
tives Of seven farm organizations, In
GLIDING some of the greatest in
the country. although the National
Grange is not included in the list. The
burden Of the complaint is the failure
Of the Senate to vote for higher duties
on sugar, on hides which are now on
the free list and on blackStrap molasses,
casein, fats and oils. The House, what
ever else it did with regard to the
tariff bill. at least increased the duty
on sugar, placed q duty on hides and
granted some Of the other increases
now demanded by these farm organi-
cations.
This attack upon the Senate tariff
bill may come as something of shock
to the Senate coalitionists, who have
been patting themselves on the back for
the manner In which they have i'm
proved the measure. Western pro-
greSsive Republicans who voted with
the Democrats in the Senate to reduce
the duty on sugar to the limit Of the
present law may regard this action on
the part Of the farm organizations as
the unlindest cut Of all. Surely it Is
difficult to please all the people all the
time when 1t comes to tariff making.
The Democrats, too, have been hoping
that their work on the tariff bill would
endear them to the farmers, paxtic-
ularly the farmers of the West, where
the Democratic party would like to pick
UP votes.
Doubtless the letter Of the farmers
organizations comes too late to bring
about changes in the bill while it still
fingers in the Senate. The opinions
expressed in the letter, however, may be
influential in the conference stage Of
the tariff bill, which it b now hoped
win be reached within q few weeks
Various predictions have been made re-
garding the probable date Of the pas
sage Of the measure In the Senate.
Washington's birthday was set as
o deadline. Then March 1. But
the Senate still clings to the bill, wor-
Tying it as a dog worries o bone.
The farm organizations, including the
Farm Bureau Federation and the Farm
ers' Union, are emphatic III their attack
upon the Senate. They do not mince
words. They say that they would pre-
fer to have no new tariff law and to
continue under the existing law than to
have q bill finally enacted into law
leaving the duties of the products on
which they lay particular stress.
The farmers are entitled to greater
protection under the tariff system of
the country than they have had. It was
for that reason, in part, that President
Hoover called the special session OF
Congress last April and urged q limited
revision Of the existing tariff law par
ticularly to aid the farmers.
When the House passed a tariff bill
there was an uproar. The farmers had
not been dealt with in a manner which
carried out the pledges of the Repub-
hcans. Industrial rates had been raised
There was howl about the increase in
the sugar duty. Some Of the criticism
was merited. Industrial rates had been
raised In some cases which seem not
justified. Certainly the revision at
tempted had gone far beyond the pro-
posal advanced by the President. Then
the Senate tackled the bill. A coalition
was formed to aid the farmers-as II
was thought. But some Of the farmers
are not pleased with the action of the
coalition.
Probably no tariff bill can please al
the people Of America, farmers and
tndustrialists alike, and the consumers
including in the end both farmers and
industrialists. The interests Of one sec.
ton Of this great country are antago-
nistic TO the interests Of another in this
matter Of tariff duties. The best that
can be hoped Is the enactment Of a Law
which will deal fairly with the various
producers. whether of agricultural
products or manufactured products
giving all a measure Of protection. The
difficulty comes when one group insist.
upon low duties being levied on thu
articles which they must buy and higf
duties on those which they produce
Rery human demand after ali