Evening star., 1932-02-18
BYRD SAYS TARIFF
MAY COST LIVES
Former Governor Says Amer.
lea Cannot Be SeIf-C0n-
tanned and Prosperous.

FRANKFORT, KY, February 1s.-A
warning that elves as well as dollars
may be the price of tariff battles" was
sounded today by former Gov. Harry
Flood Byrd Of Virginia in an address
before the Kentucky General Assembly.
The speech was incident to his visit
here to confer on governmental reor-
ganization, and was invited by resolu-
ton of the assembly.
He said America cannot be SELF
contained Nation and retain her
prosperity; that the Farm Board should
be continued. and that Government
should be simplified.
He discussed Jeffersonian and Wash
ingtonian principles and said the truth
is that no one can tell how far Thomas
Jefferson would modify the valid prin-
ciples of States rights, as he conceived
it in his day in the effort to control
conditions that cannot be controlled
except by national power; and the
truth is that no one can tell how far
George Washington would modify the
valid principle Of national isolation in
the effort to find a way to trade
amicably and prof1tably with foreign
nations.
Cites increased 1aT1nS
"Take the tariff, for example. What
ever may be our individual opinions
about the tariff walls we have built
around America, no one can deny that
we have made the tariff higher and
higher. =
TT Is one thing to impose tariff to
protect living standards here, but it is
bad business to raise the duties until
we ALLEVIATE our best national customers,
destroy our export trade and encourage
American industry to migrate abroad
and employ foreign labor Idle work.
men at home are not protected in this
way"
Speaking Of the Farm Board. Byrd
said it failed as every one fails, who
attempts to accomplish something in
defiant contradiction of the inevitable
operation of economic laws. There is
no patent medicine cure for ills like
these"
Favors Farm Board.
"The Farm Board should be con-
| tinued, and can do good work." he said.
1T should investigate, study and find
a way to reduce the cost Of delivering
| the farmers product to the market.
| The farmer receives today only IS cents
| out of each dollar that the consumer
pays for the product. .
I'VE must reduce overproduction. If
we reduce production we reduce income.
The only profitable way Is to absorb
overproduction by increasing consump
ton, and most Of the increase must
, be found in larger foreign consumption.
It is interesting to dream of a time
| when the chief Of nations Of the world
will see that competitive. exorbitant
tariffs will lead increasingly to strangu-
! lation of international trade and event.
ual loss to every nation engaged in
this artificial and dangerous method
of retaliatory self-protection. Wars
grow out of economic competition and
| lives as well as dollars may be the
price of tariff battles.
But there are some things for ou1
relief we can do promptly. We can re-
duce reasonably the extension Of the
unnecessary functions Of the National
| Government. In the meantime, we
might be permitted honestly to exercise
such business Judgment as we think
we have without being required to pay
a lawyer to explain to us the long list
Of legislative 'donts.'"