The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1944-06-15
barrier and is Il denial of a free and
open market.
Declaration Of The AFL On Trade
Barriers

Declaration Of The AFL On Trade
Barriers
It is obvious that if we are to mod
ify, alter or eliminate these trade
barriers and encourage greater flow
of international trade concerted and
voluntary action is required on the
part of all commercial nations of the
world
In this regard | would direct your
attention to the declaration adopted at
the Postwar Conference of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor last month,
and which in part provides
I'VE have demonstrated during this
war that free economy can produce
goods in unimagined abundance. In the
years of peace Il sustained high level
of production and employment is also
possible if there is assurance of eco
nomic justice within nations and be-
tween nations. To accomplish this, il
will be necessary to get rid of that
kind of exploitation which tends to
concentrate income in the hands of the
few and prevents the great mass Of
workers from having the purchasing
power to buy the things they need for
daily life. 1t also will be necessary to
lessen the barriers between nations
so that there may be a larger inter-
change of goods and services for all.
The basic test of freedom is the wei
fare of the common man. We hold that
under freedom society can be so or
ganiZed that everyone will have an
opportunity to earn his own liveli-
hood"
The report further provides that
"A certain number of international
functional agencies will be necessary
to ensure the consistent development of
sound economic policies in world
which will be increasingly responsive
to the advances in technology due to
scientific discovery and invention. The
frontiers of the world of labor are
those of economic as well as political
geography, and, the economic barriers
to freedom of intercourse must not be
permitted to block the pathway 10
prosperity. These problems by their.
very nature cannot be solved in any
single set of laws or agreements be-
cause the conditions with which they
deal are forever changing. 1t is, there
fore, necessary to maintain and create
the pertinent institutions for dealing
with them"
In defining the institutions to deal
with these subjects the report provides
that
''In the world of commerce and in
dustry there should be agencies to deal
with such problems as (1) the stabil
ization of foreign exchange, (2) com
munications and transport on land,
sea and in the air, CD the commercial
policy including cartels, (4) fiscal
policies and foreign investments, (5)
access to natural resources and raw
material, CO. to coordinate these ac-
tivities there should be "A United Ma
tions Economic Organization with CON
sultative and advisory functions.
''In each case there should be pro-
vision for objective studies of the facts
which should be made available to the
general public
Trade Treaties
Instead of the foregoing it has been
suggested that entering into trade
followed for the attainment of the re-
suits indicated. Fundamentally, trade
treaties, as at present negotiated and
entered into, disregard constitutional
requirements under guise of trade
agreements" Then, too, under the
method adopted of negotiating trade
agreements" sole power to determine
matters relating to foreign trade are
delegated exclusively to the executive
branch of government.
Quite aside from the fact that trade
agreements entered into have been
negotiated under methods which do not |
provide ample opportunity for con
and consideration of the do |
nestle interests involved, including |
labor, experience has demonstrated |
that to make these trade agreements |
or trade treaties effective, there must |
be some automatic enforcement provi- |
sion.
A prime provision of all trade agree
ments or treaties is that the other con
tracing parties shall not grant to i'm
ports of other countries "A lower tariff |
rate or similar concession than that |
accorded to imports of the United |
States. These provisions have not been
adhered to in all instances. TO the con
frary, we understand that complaints
in this regard reached such proper
tons that certain high officials i'm our
Department of State were impelled
and did prepare strong protest
against the failure on the part of sew
eral nations to fulfill the terms of the
.rade treaties entered into. However,
he protests were never transmitted,
lor were the complaints manifested
ever properly adjusted.
American Valuation Justified
A discussion of the tariff rates them
selves assumes increased Importance
when it is recognized that in the main
,ur tariff duties are levied on foreign