Evening star., 1932-10-05

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comparable prices Of farm products to
day in the United States and abroad
ON informed by the Department o
Agriculture that you will find that ex
cept for the guardianship Of the tariff
butter could be imported for 25 pc
cent below your prices, pork product
for 30 per cent below your prices, laml
and beef products from 80 to so pc
cent below your prices, flaXseed for 3!
per cent below your prices, beans for Al
per cent below your prices and wool 81
per cent below your prices. Both corr
and wheat could be sold in New Yegl
from the Argentine at prices below your!
at this moment were it not for thu
tariff. I suppose these are ghastly jests
The removal of or reduction of thu
tariff on farm products means a flooc
of them into the United States from
every direction, and either you woule
be forced to still further reduce youl
prices or your products would rot or
your farms.
The opposition party has endeavoree
to persuade you that increased tariff.
abroad are reprisals against the Unitee
States. There are a half dozen sup,
preSsions of truth in this statement o.
profound interest to the farmer TIL,
first is that many increases in tariff.
abroad took place before, not after, oul
farm tariffs were increased The sec.
ond is that the restrictions on import.
in most cases are not directed at tht
United States. They are for the pur.
pose OF reducing all expenditures Of
their people during their financia
No irI a.. &1xot
the growls of some nations when oul
tariffs were changed we find their ob-
JectionS in overwhelming majority were
directed at the increase in our agri-
cultural tariffs. American farmers are
entitled to know this. The very object
OF our increases was to protect you ir
the home market.
The main thing these foreign coun.
tries want Is entrance for their surplus
agricultural products into our markets
Many Of these countries would decrease
their tariffs against our industrial
goods tomorrow in exchange for reduc-
tion on their farm products, but that
is no help to our farmers.
Bargaining Tariffs.
The Democratic party proposes that
they would enter into bargaining tariffs
to secure special concessions from other
countries. They represent this to be in
the farmers interest. But 1 may tell
you here and now that the largest part
CT the whole world desires to make
only one bargain with the United
States. The bargain these countries
wish to make is to lower our tariffs on
agricultural products in exchange for
lowering their tariffs on our industrial
goods. American industrial leaders,
realizing the needs of the American
farmer, do not want to be a party to
such bargains.
All tariff acts contain injustices and
inequalities. That is the case with the
last tariff bill. Some people get too
much and some too little. But those of
you who have followed the accomplish
ments of this administration will recol-
lect that I secured in the last tariff act,
IS years after it had originally been ad-
vocated by President Theodore RooSe-
velt. the adoption Of effective flexible
tariff provisions to be administered by a
bipartisan body. That authority to a
bipartisan tariff commission is based
upon a definite principle Of protection
to our people, and it is one Of the most
acts which have been Sc
cured in the history of all legislation.
BY maintaining that reform the
country need no longer be faced with
heart breaking. og-rolling selhshness
and greed which come to the surface
on every occasion when Congress re-
vises the tariff
This bipartisan Tariff Commission
has now been engaged for more than 18
months in an effective revision Of the
tariff. 1t has heard every complaint
1t has found that many rates were Just
some were too high. and some too low
But II there are tariffs which are too
nigh and result in some damage to the
United States. those tariffs can be re-
by mere application to the
commission. That tribunal is open TO
all the people.
Our opponents opposed this reform
IN tariff legislation They passed bill
last session to destroy the independence
or the commission. They promise in
their platform to destroy it. The rea-
sons for this action are obvious. The
Tariff Commission has
proved serious political embarrass-
ment to. them. Either house Of Con-
gress has the right to call upon the
Tariff Commission for reconsideration
Of any schedule. Notwithstanding their
outcries against the 1880 tariff act, the
Oemocratic-controlled House of Repre-
after being in session for
seven months, did not pass a single
resolution requesting readjustment Of
single commodity or single schedule.
Sees Ruin in Revision.
What the Democratic party proposes
IS to reduce your farm tariffs. Aside
from ruin to agriculture such an un-
dertaking in the midst of this depres-
sion will disturb every possibility OF
recovery.
-Four years ago organized agriculture
requested the passage of an agricultural
act. called a special ses-
sion Of Congress to pass such an act
and increase tariffs on farm products.
A distinguished board of men recon-
nended by organized agriculture was
appointed to administer the act. Those
portions of the boards activities which
directed themselves to the support and
expansion OF cooperative marketing
have proved OF great
benefit to the farmer. Today more than
! million farm families participate in
he benefits which flow from it.
I wish to state frankly the Difficult
les that have arisen under some other
portions of the act They arise mostly
rom the so-called stabilization pro-
,isions. which never were and are not
now the major purpose of the Farm
Board. Even indirect purchase and
'ale OF commodities is absolutely op-
posed to my theory Of government.
When the panic struck agricultural
prices the board determined that unless
he markets were supported hundreds
If thousands Of farmers would be bank
'upt by the sale of their products at less
han the money they had alreaoy bor-
owed upon them: that a thousand
country banks would likely be closed,
and that general panic was possible
AS a result of these emergency pur-
,hases, the prices of farm commodities
we're temporarily held and their fall
cushioned The farmers SeclIred hun