Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-16
Hoover's View of Tariff
President Indicates Pdrtys Pledges fire Met in Bill,
Citing Many Increases Largely Directed to
Interest of Fdrmer.'

| plished without disturbance to business,
as they concern but one item at a
time, and the principles laid down
assure a protective basis.
THE principle Of protective tariff
! for the benefit of labor, industry, and
the farmer is established in the bill by
| the requirement that the commission
shall adjust the rates so as to cover the
! differences i'll cost of production at
home and abroad-and it is authorized
! to increase or decrease the duties by
| so per cent to effect this end. The
means and methods of ascertaining
! such differences by the commission are
provided In such fashion as should expe-
dite prompt and effective action If
! grievances develop.
Used at Start With Caution.
when the flexible principle was first
written into law in 1922, by tradition
and force of habit the old conception of
legislative revision was so firmly fixed
that the innovation was bound to be
used with caution and in a restricted
field, even had it not been largely in
operative for other reasons. Now, how
ever, and particularly after the record
OF the last Is months, there is grow
ing and widespread realization that in
this highly complicated and intricately
organized and rapidly shifting modern
economic world, the time has come
when a more scientific and businesslike
method of tariff revision must be de-
vised. Toward this the new flexible pro-
vision takes a long step.
These provisions meet the repeated
demands of statesmen and industrial
and agricultural leaders over the past
25 years. 1t complies in full degree
with the proposals made 20 years ago
by President Roosevelt. It now covers
proposals which I urged in 1922.
If. however, by any chance the flexi-
bic provisions now made should prove
insufficient for effective action, 1 shall
ask for further authority for the COM
mission, for believe that public opinion
will give whole-hearted support to the
carrying out of such a program on a
generous scale to the end that we may
develop protective system free from
the vices which have characterized
every tariff revision in the past.
Foreign Complaints Cited.
1.-THE complaints from some foreign
countries that these duties have been
placed unduly high can be remedied, if
justified, by proper application to the
Tariff Commission.
1T is urgent that the uncertainties in
the business world which have been
added to by the long extended debate of
the measure should be ended They can
be ended only by completion of this bill.
Meritorious demands for further protec-
ton to agriculture and labor, which
have developed since the tariff of 1922,
would not end if this bill fails of enact
ment. Agitation for legislative tariff re-
vision would necessarily continue before
the country. Nothing would contribute
to retard business recovery more than
this continued agitation.
"As I have said, I do not assume the
rate structure in this or any other tariff
bill is perfect, but I am convinced that
the disposal of the whole question is ur-
gent I believe that the flexible provi-
sions can within reasonable time remedy
inequalities; that this provision is a pro-
gressive advance and gives great hope of
taking the tariff away from politics.
lobbying and log rolling; that the bill
gives protection to agriculture for the
market of its products and to several in
dustries in need of such protection for
the wage of their labor that with re-
turning normal conditions our foreign
trade will continue to expand"