The Wilmington morning star., 1940-02-24
HOUSE APPROVES
PLAN TO EXTEND
TRADE AGREEMENTS
CONTINUED From Page One)

year trial of his policy in 1884. The
time was extended another three
years in 1887.
Under the legislation, Hull has
negotiated agreements with mor
than a score of nations, which have
reduced their tariffs in return for re.
auctions in the rates of the Smoot-
Hawley law, enacted in 1880.
Republicans came to the present
session of congress resolved to end
the policy, which without the legis-
lation approved in the house today,
would expire next June. In addition
to the members from particular
e which felt that their constitu.
ents had been hurt by the reductions
there was a large group which has
contended as a matter of policy for
high tariffs.
Stands With New Deal
But, the anti-New Deal majority
which held sway in the house at the
close of the last session failed to ma.
.terialize. For n thing, the STABLE
block of southern democrats which
on a number of past issues had voted
against the New Deal, stood with
the administration on the tariff
question. They were more than
enough to offset the usually pro.
New Deal western democrats who
deserted the administration in this
instance.
Realizing some days ago that the
battle was lost, the opposition con-
centrated today on a series of
amendments intended to place re-
strictions upon the program. The
administration held clear command
throughout a day of voting, however
and, one after another, the proposals
were rejected.
Of particular interest was an
amendment offered by Rep. CroWther
R-NY), which would have changed
the program into the tariff system
advocated by the republican plat.
form committee, in the report sub.
mitted by it's chairman, Glenn Frank
early this week. He proposed a re.
.ciprocity system, but n under
which all the trade agreements
would have to be approved by both
houses of congress before they could
become effective.
Crowther told the house that most
of the countries with which such
agreements had been concluded re-
quired ratification by their own leg.
islative bodies. It would be contend
ed that such a requirement here
would result in delay, he said, but
that did not seem to matter to the
proponents of the legislation when
the delay was caused by ratification
in other countries. In some in.
stances, he added, the effectiveness
of the pacts had been delayed for
eleven months by the ratification
process elsewhere.
LOG Rolling"
Rep. Dingell D-Mich) contended
the amendment would result in "the
death of the trade agreements and
said that was "what the minority
seeks at this time" In addition, he
argued it would revive 'log rolling"
as a method of tariff making.
In the end the Crowther amend
ment was voted down, ISL to la.
The opposition came much closer
with an amendment by Rep. Disney
D-Okla) to forbid any reduction in
excise duties on oil, coal, copper and
lumber. Since all these commodities
were included, the proposal attract
ed the support Of numerous mem
bers from sections which produce
each.
Disney shouted that previous re-
auctions in the excise taxes under
the trade agreements had no basis
in the law, and had been a breach
of faith" by the State department.
eff you turn down this amend
ment," he said, cit is a mandate to
the State department to do anything
it wishes to the excise taxes. If you
adopt the amendment it is a man.
date to the State department to cor
rect this error"