The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1935-03-14
Doughton Explains
Position on Tariff
Delivers Informative Address on
Tariff Bargaining; Sponsors
Bill in House

ZION OF 1UU,UOU copies OF the CarlH-
bargaining speech delivered by Con-
gresham Robert L. Doughton in the
House this week is planned by Demo-
cratic leaders in the near future.
Political leaders declare it to be one
of the best on the subject delivered
in the House in many years.
Summing up the situation, Mr..
Doughton asserted: cit is a common
impression that the United States
produces nearly everything that it re-
quires and is thus very largely self
sufficient. Those opposed to the re-
ciprocal tariff act are making much
of this point. They are going to con-
siderable pains to stress the self-con-
tainment doctrine-a defensive alibi
for legislation the Republicans spon-
sored which has almost destroyed
American foreign trade. They take
the position that we have largely lost
our export trade and that it was new
er important-not worth the attempt
to regain through any method of
tariff bargaining.
''The fallacy Of this doctrine is
obvious to anyone who is capable of
analyzing it. Those who take this
position of self-suffciency do not un-
derstand the fundamentals of trade
between different regions, areas, Sec
tons, States, or nations. These bases
of trade are the factors underlying
the law Of comparative costs-an eco
nomic law which the reciprocal tariff
act takes into consideration, a law
which the Republicans either cannot
or will not understand.
These elemental reasons for trade
may be roughly divided into the three
following categories:
1. Differences in racial characteris-
tics.
2. Differences in industrial develop
ments.
8. Difference in natural resources.
Continuing, Mr.. Doughton stated:
"In 1929, for example, nearly SIS
percent of our cotton, more than 40
percent of our tobacco, 33 percent of
our lard, and about Is percent of our
wheat were exported. These relatively
large percentages are not limited to
agricultural products. More than 40
percent of the typewriters, 20 per-
cent of the printing machinery, %
percent of the sewing machines, %
percent of the agricultural machin-
cry, FL percent of the locomotives,
and IA percent of the passenger auto
mobiles were sent abroad in the same
year.
"The export figures do not tell the
whole story about the interrelation
of industries. For example, the con-
ditions of the automobile industry
are reflected in a number of other
industries whose materials it pur-
chases in large quantities. This indus
try consumes in it's production, to
mention only a few, 10 percent Of the
steel of the United States, and has
largely accounted for the recent ac-
tivity of that industry. The automo-
bile industry uses about 68 percent
of the alloy steel and varying per-
centages of other steel products, IS
percent of the malleable iron, 23.5
percent of the aluminium, ID percent
of the copper, SO percent of the lead,
Z percent of the zinc, II percent of
the tin, % percent of the nickel, about
z percent of the cotton, 81 percent of
the upholstery leather, ID percent of
the hardwood lumber, 40 percent of
the plate glass, 70 percent of the
rubber, and IS percent of the gaso-
line produced in the United States.
Mr.. Doughton's speech was in reply
to statements made by Representa-
tive Treadway of Massachusetts,
ranking minority member of the
Ways and Means Committee of which
Mr.. Doughton is Chairman, regarding
the trade agreements of the present
administration under the 1884 Tariff
Act.
The bill, embodying these policies,
was introduced by Mr.. Doughton in
the 73rd Congress and reported out
by the Ways and Means Committee.
Mr.. Doughton sponsored the legisla-
ton through the Committee and the
House.