Evening star., 1936-04-13
The Tariff Issue.

the United States Tariff Commission,
who ought to know something about
the tariff question, has declared himself
sin" on the policy of reciprocal trade
agreements with foreign nations. Fur
thermore, Mr.. OBrien has declared his
belief that such agreements can only be
made effectively through the executive
branch of the Government-the Presi-
dent To submit them to Congress or to
the Senate alone for ratification would
be to hamstring them, particularly If
two-thirds vote for ratification is re-
quired, in the opinion of the chairman.
Mr.. O'Brien is Massachusetts Re-
publican. However. since his publication
of the tariff plank he desires to have
inserted in the Republican national plat
form, many Republicans look upon him
with horror. The Roosevelt reciprocal
trade agreements with foreign nations
have been made an issue against the ad-
ministration in many States. The agree
ments, because they let in lot of farm
produce, lumber, ETC., have been attacked
in many of the States of the West and
the North.
Chairman OBrien was appointed first
to the Tariff Commission by the then
President Hoover. President Roosevelt
reappointed him. In his tariff plank,
Mr.. OBrien does not desert the historic
position of the Republican party in favor
of protection" and the maintenance of
high standards of living in this country.
But he does insist that the old methods
of tariff making are not enough to win
back for the United States the foreign
markets to which American producers
are entitled. In fact, it was these old
methods of tariff making which he said
caused the downfall of two Republican
Presidents, Taft and Hoover.
1t was the Republican party. after
all, Mr.. OBrien contends which started
tariff making by presidential decree. 1t
was responsible for the so-called flexible
tariff law. under which the President was
authorized to raise or lower tariff duties
by fifty per cent after investigation by
the Tariff Commission. The reciprocal
trade agreement law placing still further
power in the hands of the President over
the tariff duties, is merely an extension
of the earlier law, and in Mr.. O'Brien's
opinion, a wise extension. Through the
power to barter and trade, in the matter
of tariff duties, with foreign nations, the
President is enabled to obtain quid pro
quo when American tariffs are reduced.
The Republicans in Congress have
raised a terrible outcry against the
O'Brien tariff plank. They call it sheer
heresy. They denounce OrBrien for going
over to the Democratic administration.
And yet Mr. O'Brien has been giving
serious consideration to the problem of
regaining foreign trade-one of the prin-
cipal problems of the American farmers
today. 1t is his judgment that the re-
ciprocal trade agreement plan, with some
Improvements, offers the best vehicle for
that purpose. 1t does appear, as Mr..
. OBrien says, that mere general re-
vision of the tariff law, either raising
duties to new heights or lowering them
until American markets are flooded, is
not the answer. If the first course is
followed, America must be prepared to
become self sufficient, and without for
eign trade. If the second is adopted,
then American labor and industry must
take lower wages and profits, in order
to compete with foreign importations.
Whether the making of the tariff
agreements should rest solely in the
hands of the Executive is another matter.
The Constitution places upon Congress
the primary duty of levying all taxes.
Opponents of the reciprocal trade act
insist that Congress has violated the
Constitution in passing over to the Presi-
dent the tariff-making privilege and
power. To this Mr.. OBrien replies that
the Supreme Court upheld the flexible
tariff act in decision handed down by