The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-05-23
Who .Onnoses This Tariff?

So many business leaders springing up over
the country protesting against the Grundy billion dol
lar tariff bill that it is getting difficult to list all of
them, much less quote from them.
When these protests of industrialists added to
those of the 1923 economists and hundreds of editors
it is clear to the most skeptcal that this opposition
has assumed nationwide proportions.
Surprisingly-or perhaps naturally-virtually all
these opponents use the same argument against the
bill. Such law will destroy American prosperity,
say the editors. Such law will destroy American pros
perity, say the economists. Such law will destroy
American prosperity, say the industrialists
On top of the statements by Ford General Mo-
tors, Stutz and other companies, statement was
made yesterday by Alvan Macauley, manufacturer of
Packard cars and president of the National Automo
bile Chamber of Commerce He explained why our
prosperity depends on export trade now threatened
by foreign retaliation
Last year the export business of the motor We
hicle industry supplied almost two months employ
ment to all men engaged in production of automobiles
:. and indirectly, virtually every wage Garner and
producer in the United States benefited through the
increased buying power put into circulation by this
enormous trade, now SO large that it exceeds $780,
100000 in value"
This is the great wealth, rolling into the United
States which the tariff bill is turning away by pro-
voking foreign reprisas, described by Macauley as
"the hardest problem confronting the American
manufacturer" He proceeded to state the economic
law-which not Grundy can deny:
I'VE can not sell if we do not buy. We can not
produce if do not SELL We not buy in as large
measure of our own products if We do not have the
added buying power that comes from world inter-
changes"
So vote for this tariff bill is vote to increase
American unemployment
This ISSUE of course reaches far beyond the auto
mobile and allied industries 1t hits the entire range
of foreign trade which President Hoover has de-
Scribed as the differental between American pros
perity and American depression.
Our total exports last year reached the record
breaking value of $5,25O,OOOOOO. Think of the mil
lions of American families dependent upon that
trade.
These jobs already are being wiped out and those
families left destitute. Official figures of the depart
ment of commerce show that our total export trade
during the first quarter of this year fell off 20 per
cent. That under the mere threat of the Grundy
bill What will be the result if the bill actually
comes lava decrease of another 20 per cent another
billion dollars?
We respectfully suggest to members of congress
that, before voting the Grundy BILL they take one
long look at these falling export figures and rising
employment figures And if that doesn't convince
them that passage of the bill would be disastrous we
suggest that they glance at the Pennsylvania primary
figures, by which the voters of that highest of high
tariff states just nave rewarded the great Grumpy
himself by dropping him from the senate.