Evening star., 1934-03-03
Roosevelt and the Tariff.

President Roosevelt has finally
tossed the tariff issue into the lap Of
Congress and probably into the COM
ing congressional campaign. With
considerable boldness he has proposed
that the President be clothed with
complete authority to make reciprocal
trade agreements between the United
States and other nations and to lower
tariff duties by fifty per cent to bring
about such agreements, or to raise
them by fifty per cent If need be. In
other words. he proposes to take over
the tariff making business from Con-
gress within certain limits. As ex-
CuSe for such authority the President
pleads the emergent need Of rebuild
ing Americas international commerce
and the equal need Of speed in deal
ing with the other nations. The ques-
tion SINNERS down to the desirability
of having the legislative branch of
the Government deal with the tariff
and kindred matters or Of having the
Chief Executive handle them. 1t
comes pretty close to giving the Exec
utive the taxing power. Certainly 1t
leaves with the President the power
to amend the tariff duties by execu-
tive In, IN
absolutely American industries. Now,
no matter whether there are indus
tries supported by the present tariff
wall which are not wise economically,
the owners and workers In these in
dustries will not relish being wiped
out
The upbuilding Of American foreign
commerce and of international COM
merce generally is much to be de-
sired. It Is this failure Of interna-
tional trade which has been respon-
sible in large measure for the terrible
depression which has afflicted this
and other nations. But back Of the
failure Of international trade lies
primarily the desperate debts growing
out Of the World War and the deter
mination of nations to be, as far as
possible, self-sustaining in the future.
Reciprocal trade agreements may be
Of aid In the restoration of foreign
commerce. but in the end these ques-
tions Of war debts and of willingness
to rely upon other nations for sup
plies obtained in peaceful trade must
be ironed out.
1t seems almost q foregone con-
clusion that when the question of
reciprocal commercial agreements
comes up between this country and
the nations Of Europe, which owe
the United States millions Of dol
lars the debt question will creep in
At present, it is true, the admins
tration leaders in Congress deny that
the debt question is to be wrapped
up in this bundle. To include it would
be to make even more difficult the
already difficult task Of obtaining
from Congress the power now re-
quested by the President.
Republicans will bitterly resist this
effort of the President to take over
the tariff making powers. And they
will be aided by some of the Demo-
Gratis. The administration bill al
ready has been introduced. Strenuous
efforts will be made to amend 1t, to
hedge about with further limitations
and restrictions the authority demand
ed, as well as to defeat entirely the
Under existing law the
President is authorized to raise or
lower tariff duties by fifty per cent,
but he must first have an investiga-
ton made by the Tariff Commission
and a report and recommendation
from that commission. Very little use
has been made of this authority. One
reason is the delay due to the neces-
sity of having the inquiries made by |
the commission into the comparative
costs of production of the articles at |
home and abroad. But the Repub- |
icans insist that it is better to have
delay than costly mistakes made in
q hurry.