Evening star., 1934-08-19
Hay and Oats Almost Ger
tain to Be Admitted Free
From Canada Under
Emergency Proclamation.
OFFICIALS S WILL SELECT
DUTY-FREE COUNTRIES
Wheat Probably Will Not Be on
List of Produce Brought Into
Stricken Sections-Gr ROGERS
Pledge Aid to Prevent Profteer-
ing and Speculation.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
President Roosevelt has signed a
proclamation declaring an emergency
and directing that import duties be
suspended so farmers in drought
ridden areas may obtain enough feed
to keep their live stock from starving.
The proclamation, it was learned
last night, was signed August 10
just after the President made his
transcontinental trip through the
drought belt.
Under that proclamation, Treasury
and Agricultural officials are working
on regulations specifying that COM
modities-probably hay and oats
may be imported into this country
duty free. The regulations also
would name ports of entry and the
countries from which the commodi-
ties could be imported.
An offer by the national food and
grocery distributors code authority to
use its mechanism to protect the con-
sumner against food speculation and
profiteering was another important
development yesterday in the Gov
ernment's plans to cope with the
drought situation.
AS soon as the import duty regula-
tions are agreed upon, it was said
they will be made public. along with
the text of the presidential proclama-
ton. The proclamation does not
designate the feedstuffs that may be
imported.
Authority in Tariff Act.
The proclamation ordering suspen-
sion of the duties uses authority grant
ed by q little -publicized section OF
the 1880 tariff act which says:
whenever the President shall by
proclamation declare an emergency to
exist by reason of state of war or
otherwise, he may direct the Secre-
tary of the Treasury to suspend dur
ing the continuance of such an emer-
qency the time for the performance
of any of the requirements of this
act. and he may authorize the Secre-
tary of the Treasury to permit under
such regulations as the Secretary OF
the Treasury may prescribe. IMporta-
ton, free of dGty, of food. clothing
and medical, surgical and other sup
plies for use in emergency relief work. ;
During the Mississippi food for
mer President Herbert Hoover tenn
porarily suspended tariff on some
articles needed for relief work.
Shortly after he signed the procla-
nation. President Roosevelt said at
q press conference that while a low
ering of levies on forage and the
like from Canada was in prospect. the
action probably would not affect other
countries.
Frazier Is Informed.
Yesterday the office of Senator
Frazier, Republican of North Dakota
said 1t had been informed that Mr.
Roosevelt already had authorized a
reduction of tariffs on hay, some
grains and other live stock feed from
Canada.
Oficials said they did not LOOK for
wheat to be on the Suspension lis
Authorities at the Department of
Agriculture said in This conLecIion
they were negotiating with Canadians
for 800,00 bushels of duruln wheat
to be used for seed and that they
expected the full duty TO be paid on
this and other wheat brought in from
the Dominion.
Sources close to Secretary Wallace
said also that while they knew that
q slash in duties on feedstuffS was
contemplated, they had not been in
formed that the authorization already
had been given.
Whether any corresponding reduc-
ton on Canadian duties against some
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