Evening star., 1931-12-06


make funds readily available where there
is need.
There is unernployment-no more, and
probably less, than in other nations
but the spiritual and material strength
of the great body of our people have
been marshaled, and funds are being
gathered locally throughout the country
to prevent hardship during the emerg
ency. We note a better attitude of mu-
tual helpfulneSs between iabos and cap
ital than has been experienced in the
history of depressions.
These are some of the solid accom-
plishments of the last year or two since
the worldwide storm swept in from the
war zone and period; but this is not by
any means a complete list of the meas
ures that have been taken to enable us
to ride out the storm with the least dam
age and danger. I might mention, for
instance, what has been done to prevent
more serious unemployment, through
such drastic curtailment of immigration
that the outgo of aliens exceeds the
number coming into the country.
Much more remains to be done; much
more will be done for the promotion of
our common welfare if reason and COM
mon sense prevail over baseless panic
and political foraging in the session of
Congress which opens tomorrow.
1t is neither necessary nor possible to
discuss in detail all the issues that con-
front Congress at this time. There are,
however, certain broad issues that must
and will be faced in the Senate, the
House of Representatives and the White
House. During 54 Of the last 10 years,
since Abraham Lincoln entered the
White House as first Republican Presi-
dent of the United States, the party
which he helped to establish has been
responsible for the conduct of national
affairs. 1t had to face national prob
lens and issues and deal with them in a
practical, satisfactory way 1t has not
lodged or evaded any issue, and it will
not now.
Administration leaders, for example,
will not waver on the tariff ISSUE de-
spite demands for tariff repeal" tariff
revision" and tariff modification" The
maintenance of consistent tariff policy
through many years has protected
American workers and American indus
tries and has given us a higher standard
of living than any other nation. No re-
sponsible Republican leader will seriously
propose departing from that time tried
and successful national policy despite
the urging Of international bankers who
long to flood American markets with
foreign goods SO that foreign securities
which they hold or sell may be enhanced
in value
THE fact is that our tariff law is con-
stantly being modified to measure
correctly the difference between cost of
production here and abroad, through the
deliberations of the Tariff Commission.
Within comparatively short time the
commission has dealt with 80 applica-
tions for tariff law and rate changes, and
has made reductions in duties wherever
justified by its investigation of produc-
ton costs.
And while we have here at home a
clamor, purely political, for general
tariff reduction by those who voted time
and time again for heavy duties to pro-
tect the industries of their home States,
it is interesting and instructive to notice
what is happening in other parts of the
world. In England, for instance, the po-
htical current has swung toward tariff
protection. In Italy, late last Septem-
ber, Is per cent increases in tariff duties
were announced-gasoline being tariff
and-sales taxed to the extent of about
IL cents gallon. In France, during the
early part Of October, tariff rates were
again raised, following the imposition of
higher duties in August. Since January,
as pointed out by leading French news
paper, % categories of French tariffs
have been largely increased some more
than 100 per cent.