The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-08-17

SEEN and HEAND
around the
National Capital
zz==sy CARTER FIELD.zzzlz
Washington. President Roosevelt
win support a move BY the new con-
~gress-elected this fail to meet In
January-to reduce the tariff on dis
TILED liquors, unless there ID an nm.
expected change In the situation.
The President came very close to
recommending this action to the con.
gress which adjourned In June. Sew
eral reasons prevented his doing %.
One was that as time passed he grew
more and more anxious for q speedy
adjournment, and there was no telling
how much debate would follow such
q recommendation. Another reason
was that he was far more interested
In his tariff powers, which were not
granted until the last few weeks Of
the session, than he was In the Liquor
situation. =
There was a third, though much less
important reason. The tariff on dis
titled liquors, Of course, included rum.
Mr.. Roosevelt was keenly interested
In the proposed development of the
rum industry in the Virgin islands.
He was fully aware, through his for
mel connection with the Navy depart
nnent at the time the islands were ac-
CURED and through other Information,
such as that resulting from Mrs.
ROosevelt's visit to the islands, of the
drying up of all industries there since
the United States acquired the Islands.
He expressed the view to newspaper
men several times that this old rum
industry, ended by American pro-
hibition, could be revived, and occu-
patton furnished to many Of the idle
there.
To a slightly lesser degree, though
the volume produced would be greater,
the development Of rum distilling
promised great things for Porto Rico.
Even more important has been the
rapid development Of rum exports
from the Philippines to the United
States since repeal. ~.
Mr.. Roosevelt felt that the Fflipinos
did not get a fair deal from congress
when it adopted the tax ON coconut
oil. He did his best to defeat that
proposal, and actually went to the
length of asking congress to repeal it
Heavy exports Of rum to the United
States to a considerable extent com.
pensate the Philippines for any loss
they may suffer through the ,coconut
oil tax.
Wants Good, Cheap Liquor
So that three Of this country's
possessions, in all Of which the Pres
ident is keenly interested for one rea-
Q or another, are profting enormous
" by the fact that the import duty on
distilled liquor Is 80 high. MI. Roose-
welt felt that 1t would be a good idea
for them to get a head start on this
business before cutting the tariff which
protects them as well as domestic dis
tillerz
But as to the proposition on the
whole the President feels strongly that
every possible step must be taken by
the government to provide the liquor
buying public with a good, wholesome
liquor, at q price sufficiently cheap to
prevent the ~bootleggers and moonshin-
ers from operating.
Federal Alcohol Administrator Choate
has been keenly In sympathy with
the idea Of reducing the tariff. In an
interview before congress adjourned
he mentioned a stock Of American type
of WHISTLES which could be imported
and used as the base for blends. He
did not mention the name Of the own.
ers Of this whisky, but it is a large
Canadian corporation with a plant in
the United States. This particular
company has a stock of some 10000
600 gallons Of straight whisky from
I've years old upwards.
Actually, the $5-a-gallon import
duty, which IL In addition to the $S-a-
gallon excise tax, runs the tax on
whisky In most states to above 81 a
quart In New York, for example, the
state tax Of 81 with the 81 on imported
liquors makes s. q gallon without
counting state and special taxes. In
Maryland the state tax is $1.1O, etc.
Domestic liquor would still have a
big advantage wen II the import duty
was reduced, say, to $3.50 a gallon.
Bimetallism Drive
A new drive for bimetallism is being
planned BY senators and members of
the house from the silver states.
Scores of letters from senator's and
members In the western country have
told colleagues remaining in Wash
fngton that the optimism on this issue
in the whole western country, from
Texas to Washington, and from Min
nesota to California, is flabbergasting.
4 A4N6k Va "