Evening star., 1933-01-15
Philippine independence, Farm Relief
Bills Point to Democratic Backsliding

The allotment plan" bill takes short
staple cotton from the free list and
imposes upon it duty of cents a
pound. 1t takes jute similarly from
the free list and imposes upon it SIM
ilarly a duty of cents a pound. It
then addresses itself to manufactured
products of cotton and to manufac-
tured products Of jute, now dutiable,
and imposes upon them new addi-
tional duty of cents a pound. It also,
in varying degrees, increases the tar
if duties on products of wheat, to-
bacco, hogs, milk, rice and peanuts
This Is a fairly impressive list. The
most striking feature in 1t is jute The
inclusion of jute is an evidence of the
existence among us Of a protectionist
spirit soaring to the highest conceiv-
able limits Of protectionist tempera-
ture.
We grow no jute in this country.
The duty is not levied to protect any
agricultural jute growers. We have
none. The purpose of the duty Is not
any protection of jute at all. The
purpose of the duty is the protec-
tion Of cotton. The cotton growers
wish to substitute cotton for jute in
the manufacture of bagging.
4
LII 1S0U, WIleIi Tic f1dWley y-S1nOOC
bill was in the Senate, Senator Harris
of Georgia introduced an amendment
to 1t providing for duty on jute and
for an increased duty ON jute products.
He informed the Senate that his mo-
tive was to eliminate jute and its prod
uctS from use in the United States.
That elimination, he said, would en-
able the cotton farmers to sell their
loW-grade cotton for bagging"
Senator Walsh of Montana observed
that "the principle is not unlike the
proposal to put duty on bananas so
as to induce greater consumption of
apples" Senator Smoot agreed with
Senator Walsh. A roll call was had
Only II Senators voted for Senator
Harris amendment for eliminating iute
from American life on behalf of cot
ton. The amendment was thought by
even protectionist Senate to be sort
of parody of protectionism
Now today. Immediately after a great
national political campaign in which
the victorS Grated strongly against pro-
tectionism, we find a jute duty in an
official party bill. And we find ii
placed at cents a pound, whereas. in
1890, Senator Harris, at his Ioftiest
protect1onist moment, requested only 3.
A scent jute duty, translated into
ad valorem terms, is duty of approx
mately $50 per cent. Even Senator
Smoot Is obliged to gaze at a $50 per
cent duty with considerable respect.
HIS Republican sugar duties are now
fully matched by this Democratic duty
proposed on behalf of a Democratic
solely Southern commodity.
\ X
1t Is now the turn of the Republicans
to be shocked. Representative Snow
OF Maine rises in the House to ex
press his CONSERVATION. Bags made
of burlap from jute are used for DO
tatoes. There are potatoes in Maine
Bags OF jute," says Mr. Snow. weigh
from to 2 pounds. If scent tariff
rate is placed upon jute, you will in
crease the price of a scratch grain
poultry bag cents. You will increase
the price OF an onion bag cents. You
will increase the price Of a potato bag
8 cents"
Democratic doctrine-against tariff
raised prices-from Republican snow
of Maine! Republican doctrine-in
favor of tariff-raised prices-from
Democratic Jones of Texas in his lutte
duty in his allotment plan" bill!
Such demonstrations Of Democratic
tendencies incline Washington to sur
mise that possibly the rule for the
predicting of party performances by
putting the party promises into re-
verse may again in some degree be
operating. This will not move Wash
ington to reproach the Democratic
party 1t will move Washington only to
remark that the Democratic party
like the Republican party, behaves
like party.