Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-11

mentalities have been used to subsidiSe
industrial development.
THAT the impartiality of the Tariff
Commission be vigorously maintained;
q peoples counsel be authorized by law
to represent the public interest in Tariff
Commission Investigations; the law be
amended so that the Tariff Commits
sion shall report its findings and recon-
mendations for action by Congress; and
Congress, in acting on such findings
avoid the pitfalls of log-rolling by statu-
tory restrictions limiting legislation on
Tariff Commission reports to the par
ticular subjects separately reported on
by the commission.
That, If practicable, the law be
amended 20 rs to provide the machinery
for promoting economic disarmament,
here and abroad, with q view to the
reduction, 50 far as possible. OF foreign
hostile and retaliatory tariffs, stimuli
taneously with the reduction OF our own
excessive tariff duties.
THAT special steps be taken to re-
Quire reports from the Tarim Commits
sion directed toward lower tariffs in
certin cases, for example, on articles not
manufactured in the United States; and
on those which are exported to foreign
countries In amounts and values exceed
ing those of similar articles imported
the Tariff Commission TO disregard
competitive costs data due to inefncient
organization and management, and TO
inquire into and report on meager do
nestle resources and abnormal or ex-
cessively costly production conditions.
That, broadly speaking, our national
tariff policy be rescued from its present
trend toward Chinese wall exclusion,
with the definite design Of enlarg1ng
our proper commerce with foreign ma
tons, and strengthening and improving
international good win and friendship."
Tariff Laws Blamed.
In his address to the conference
Senator CoStigan laid many Of the pres
emit ills Of the country to the door OF the
tariff laws. He declared that duties on
manufactured articles were more ef1ec-
tive than duties on agricultural prod
ucts. He said that the equalization" OF
agriculture with industry, frequently
promised by the present administra-
ton" had not been brought about.
ct Is a frequent but mistaken
assumption that higher wages ordinarily
result from higher tariff" said Senator
CoStiRan. Investigations support the
conclusion that higher wages, for the
most part, rest on larger production,
which in the United States has its
foundation alike under high tariffs, low
tariffs and no tariffs"
increasing conviction among economists
and historians that excessive and dis
criminatory tariffs are - frequent
source of international i'll will and hos
tility and should be more and more
regarded as war-provoking.
ct should be clear, other factors
being equal, that America, at the pres
ent stage of its agricultural and indus
trial development, should in the main
prefer lower rather than higher tariffs,
he continued. Senator Costigan pointed
out that the leading political parties
have been drawing closer together in
recent years in their respective tarin
policies. Historically, he said, the DEM
ocratic party has been q lower tarin
party than the Republican, but for APP
proximately 30 years both parties have
alike emphasized in their public plat
forms the merits OF competition under
tariffs as a means OF protecting the
| public from the unrestrained exactions
Of tariff monopolies.
Tend Toward Higher Rates.
Senator Costigan said, however, that
the tendency had been toward higher
and higher tariffs. He said that when
| the results have been estimated the
higher tariffs will be found to have had
their part In lost foreign markets, in
| increasing farm distress and in en-
larged unemployment. The tariff, he
said, had had It's full part in the past
year of panic and poverty. He said
that the Smoot- Hawley tariff act Of
1880 was the highest tariff law enacted
in the history of this country. Orig
inally claimed as an aid to agriculture,
he said IL has greatly burdened that
| StYiosea industry