Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-07-02
THE TARIFF ANNIVERSARY

tlcle appearing last week LII 1He
Progressive of Madison, Wis, writ
ten by Maurice B. Pasch brought
out the weak points of the obnOx-
ious Hawley-Smoot tariff bill and
the harm it has done to the cOun-
try in its year of existence. This
is the bill that 500 Pine county
farmers petitioned against, both
Minnesota senators voted against
it and eight of our congressman
opposed it. Governor Floyd B. Oh
son, former Governor Theodore
Christianson, and many other
prominent men in public affairs,
as we'll as practically all progress
sive Republicans and Democrats
have voiced their opinions against
it. The Askov American having
devoted considerable time and
space in opposition to this law
which did not give the change
asked for and promised to the
farmers of the nation, and think
ing that our readers would be in
terested in reading the article by
Mr.. PaSch, we pass 1t on:
The first birthday anniversary of the
Hawley-Smoot tariff bill and President
Hoovers announcement at Indian
apolis in defense of it are reasonable
justific alton for review of this in
iquitOus measure. After II long
months of experimentation with this
fr~ot Of 81 nd
the absence of the prosperity that it
was to bring, we find ourselves facing
the transfer of American industries
abroad to be behind the retaliatory
tariff walls set up by other countries;
we find our markets shrinking to the
lowest point the history of the coun-
try has known; we find our tariff COM
mission presenting a pathetic picture
by their accomplishments in elimi-
mating the iniquities and inequalities
that the bill might possess; we find
the farmers whose bill it was to be
still waiting for the farm relief that
was to be obtained by the upward re-
vision of the tariff.
In operation this Ubiquitous law is
proving itself to be the enemy instead
industry and commerce. The retail
alton which the prohibitive schedules
Of the act have provoked has left the
American industries working part
time and adding to the ranks of the
unemployed Americans.
been dreadful mistake. 1t is ex-
tremely hard to explain the disastrous
effects of this suicidal legislation on
American prosperity. The arguments
used by the president in defense OF
the tariff are different than the ar
guments used by him when as secre-
tary of commerce and presidential
candidate, he showed that the abso-
lutte dependence of American pros
perity was on foreign outlets for our
mass production surplus-foreign mar
kets now jeopardized by foreign tariff
reprisals. The Hawley-Smoot tariff
is a complete betrayal of President
HOover's pledge, given to the Amer
lean people in 1928 that he would ia
vor a limited revision of the tariff as
a means toward giving agriculture
equality with industry. Instead the
bin has placed new burdens on the
farmer, denied him relief and has left
him without hope of sharing in any
substantial benefits of the protective
system, considering agriculture as a
whole.
The bill has turned the clock back
some 20 years in the tariff history of
this country. 1t has undone the work
of whole generation of Progressive
Republicans. Once again President
Hoover has driven roughshod over the
sentiment of the rank and file of the
party and the interests of the mass
of the people.
For the consequences Mr. Hoover
will now necessarily be held answer
able. In AMI effort to justify the tariff
rates, standpat senators have resorted
to Smoot-like device of juggling
statistics. Their clumsy statistical
tricks are deceiving nobody. The tar
iff has benefited certain special in
terests at the price of heavy burdens
upon agriculture, labor, industry, and
commerce. 1t has established rates