Henderson daily dispatch., 1939-04-24
State Tariffs Make
Middle for Industry
Continued From Page Onel

collaterally. The states are erecting
protective tariff walls against one
another. At the same time each state
is demanding federal money, for its
purely internal needs, at rate which
promises to make it wholly depen-
dent for its own support upon Uncle
Sans general government; that is to
say, incapable of carrying on except
with financial grants from Capitol
Hill in the District of Columbia.
This situation, somewhat belated-
ly, is beginning to worry quite few
OF our national legislators and sew
eral Of our governors, too. They're
starting to talk about it. It's getting
advertised
Interstate Tariffs.
"A state can't conStitutionally put
up a protective tariff wall against
other states, Of course
But it doesn't call its tariff wall a
tariff wall
For example, Florida produces a
deal of cement. 1t wanted to exclude
cement from rival states. So it pass
ed law subjecting incoming cement
to tests, which were made SO expen-
SiVe that the incoming stuff, even
though it passed muster, couldn't
compete with Florida's product.
The United States Supreme Court
recently ruled against that law, say
ing that tariff was what it really
amounted to- However, there are
plenty of similar tariffs that haven't
yet been ruled unconstitutional H.
luStratively there are laws which
keep western dairy products out of
the eastern markets under sanitary
regulations which the westerners are
unable to comply with, however ex-
cellent their goods. A fearful row is
raging over these rules in Congress
now There are use taxes on many
commodities. There are virtually pro-
hibitive regulations concerning auto
trucks in Interstate operation. There
are ''ports of entry at state lines.
It's an internal tariff system that's
all. The Conference Of Governors so
recognizes it, but only half-heart.
edly, because each governor has to be
mindful of sentiment within his own
state.
President Roosevelt made a speech
the other day, in which he suggested
that George Washington found him
self in duty bound to accept the pres
idency of the whole United States
(probabily much against his inclina-
tion) to prevent the individual states
from splitting into crew of warning
peoples, like the little Balkans. Many
folks contended that he was provid-
ing himself, in advance, with an ex-
cuse for a third term. Yet maybe
! certain critics remark, he had in
mind conditions of the sort we con-
front now.
But Federal Money?
A few days later the President
made another speech, on the subject
of penitentiary paroles.
1t may not appear that there's
much relationship between inter
state tariffs and penitentiary pa
roles. Yet states spokesman contend
ed that the federal government
should finance penitentiary paroles
state prison paroles.
Should the federal government
guarantee and finance 'em?
Representative Summers of Texa.
submitted, ''No." He was tired, he
stated, of having the U. S. govern
! ment asked to pay state expenses.
The federal government, he point
ed out, doesn't pay the bill. Tho
states pay it in the long rum They
pay for parole and they pay for re-
lief, and they pay for all that Con,
| gress votes.