The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-08-27

HIKES TARIFF
ON CRABMEAT
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT IS
SUED PROCLAMATION IN
INTEREST OF AMERICAN
MARKET INCREASE

water foods industry of Florida
assumed a roster hue this week
as leaders who fought for in
creased import duties on Japan
ese crabmeat enjoyed the fruits
of victory and planned for de-
yelopment of a fisheries conser-
Yation program designed to in
grease production for a bigger
american market.
Victory in the fight to elimin-
ate unfair competition brought
BY Japanese crabmeat producers
came last Friday when President
Roosevelt issued proclamation
raising the tariff on imported
crabmeat from Is percent adj va
loren to 221zR.
Opportunity For Expansion
The presidential order was the
result of efforts of American
conservation leaders to provide
opportunity for expansion of the
crab industry in the United
States-a campaign in which
Florida's Representative Pat Cam
non figured prominently.
Representative Cannon saw in
the increased tariff the posi-
bility of new erabmeat plants
along the Atlantic and Gulf
coasts to supply the increased
demand for the product in the
American market.
1t was through the leadership
of Congressman Cannon and 9TH
er enthusiasts for conservation
throughout the country that
President Roosevelt and the tar
if commission were sold upon
the. asserted ''confiscatory COM
petition" of japanese interests,
many of whom operate floating
canneries'' near the North Amer
lean continent and, employing
cheap labor, manufacture prod
uct that has been sold in the
United States in competition
with American produced crab
meat.
Cannon Gives Illustration
To illustrate the manner in
which Japanese crab packers
have thrived from American
sales, Congressman Cannon point
ed out that United States inn
ports of canned crabmeat, paste
and sauce during 1910 totaled
1851, 462 pounds, with about 80
percent of these imports coming
from Japan. The Commerce De-
partment placed value on
these imports of $3,596,643 The
congressman further declared
that during the first five months
of the current year Japanese
icrabmeat imports to America to-
tailed 1,676,OOO pounds.
The British government ban
ned imports of japanese crab
meat shortly after the outbreak
of the war in 1889. While the
tariff increase ordered by the
President will not ban Japanese
imports to America, it was ex-
pected to greatly reduce them
because it will force the orient
ais to eliminate ''price-slashing"
methods.
The presidential order climax
es a long fight by the American
Crab Packers Committee, head
ed by Sterling G. Harris, Port
Royal, S. c., packer; the Ameri-
can Water Foods association,
whose general counsel, Hugh M.
Frampton, Washington attorney,
conducted the case before the
tariff commission. and other in
terested water foods producers
and groups from throughout the
country. who sought to show the
asserted unfairness of COMPETE
ton brought by the japanese.
The fight flared into the open
about a year ago when Senator
George L. Radcliffe, of Mary
land, introduced and steered
through the senate a resolution
directing the tariff commission
to conduct an investigation into
the methods of competition prac-
ticed by importers of canned
crabmeat.
EIishlishts Of Evidence
At the final hearing before
the tariff commission in Janu-
airy. MIR. Frampton and Mr. Har-
ris We're supported by senators
and congressman from coastal
states throughout the country,
who appeared as witnesses to in
form the commission of the sde-
pressing" effect japanese COM
petition was having upon the