Evening star., 1934-03-09
Robert L. 0'Brien, Head of
Commission, Recommends
Broadened Bill.
IMMEDIATE APPROVAL
BY CONGRESS is URGED
Secretaries Hull, Wallace and
Roper Back Reciprocal Trade
Treaties at Hearing.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
Broadening of the administration S
reciprocal tariff proposal to permit
the President to place items on or
take them from the free list was rec
commended today by Robert l.. O'Brien,
Republican chairman of the Tariff
Commission.
Testifying to the House Ways and
Means Committee on the administra-
ton proposition, O'Brien said This
bill ought to take in the free list"
Il think it should go great deal
farther" he added. 1T is so simple
that it should pass both the Senate
and House without a dissenting vote
O'Brien said there virtually was no
difference between the new proposal
and the present way of changing
tariffs under the flexible provision of
the Smoot- -Hawley act, which gives
the President power to chance rates
so per cent upon the recommendation
of the Tariff Commission.
President Held in Control
The President makes the Tariff
Commission. and it does what he
says" O'Brien added He said the
"bi- partisan character Of the COM
mission made no difference. explaining
that former President Hoover ap-
pointed a Democrat to the commits
sion who was stronger protectionist
than Representative Crowther. Re-
publican, OF New York & member of
the Ways and Means Committee who
helped put through the Smoot-
Hawley bill
Assistant Secretary Of State Fran
els B. Sayre also was to testify today
on the bill.
Chairman Doughton forecast early
conclusion of the hearings after a
number of representatives of industry
are heard tomorrow and Monday
Three cabinet members, Secretaries
Hull. Wallace and Roper. told the
committee yesterday that reciprocal
trade treaties offer the only practi-
cable way to retain and regain for
eign markets for American farm sur
pluses and to stimulate employment
in industry.
Quick Enactment Urged.
All urged quick enactment, and
Wallace said It would be practical
impossibility' for Congress to ham
die the tariff in the delicate way
necessary under the administration
program.
His view. expressed in urging quick
enactment of the measure giving
President Roosevelt full power to ne
gotiate the tariff pacts promptly
struck fire from the Republican COM
mittee members.
We've been doing 1t for 100 years, u
Representative Bachrach of New Jer-
sey told him Il do say that's pretty
broad statement that Congress can't
handle it.
This" said Wallace, "is a differ
ent situation from those lovely days.
Addressing himself to the question
from the standpoint of agriculture.
Wallace said 1t was exceedingly de-
sirable that foreign purchasing power
for our agricultural surpluses be re-
stored"
Wallace said to restore this pur-
chasing power and thereby to in
crease the market for American farm
product exports would mean that the
crop acreage control plan of the ad-
ministration could be dropped
If" he said, "in the Judgment
of the Congress it cannot be. we'd
like to know 1t so we can nerve our
selves up to continue restricting sur
plus acreage.
Warns of Unemployment.
The agricultural Secretary said he
thought it was important for Con-
gress to realize that high tariff causes
unemployment just as surely as low
tariff-it is just question OF where
the unemployment will be-"
Secretary Hull discussed the ad-
ministration's views for two hours.
Republicans challenged Hull on the
point of the most-favored nation
treaties this country holds with other
nations, under which trade benefits
granted one country must be ex-
tended to others.
Hull. reflecting the previously ex-
pressed attitude of the State Depart
ment on this question. explained that
when agreements were based on GER
tain products similar tariff conces-
sions would be extended other
countries for those specific products
(Continued on Page 2. Column 81