The Hokitika Guardian FRIDAY, SEPT 30TH 1921. THE AMERICAN TARIF.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 September 1921, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian FRIDAY, SEPT 30TH 1921. THE AMERICAN TARIF.

Tiik United States has its tariff hi!l troubles, just as tin.* Dominion. A car. ITS) undent says that having passed an Kinclgeucy la till' Kill to give relief to certain interests, ami which, it turns out, is giving no relief at all, the rt* actionary Kepublican nicmliors of Couirnvss begin to think of a' new Permanent Tarilf Kill to supersede the Underwood Tariff Kill of 11)13. Iteproscntative Kordney, who was responsible for the Kniergenev Tarilf Kill, has nowproduced the new Tariff Kill, which he introduced lately It is one of the worst :in<l most react ioiwi ry lari ft* measures ever introduced, and it it passes as it is fra mod, which is doubtful it will succeed iu building up u trade wall a round the 1 lilted States which will serve to keep out a large? volume of business from (.’rent liritain and other iiuropean eountrics. r l his Kill, before it has even lieen deliated, has caused l stir in the eouutry. It has roused tin* strong protest of many merchants who want to keep foreign trade, ft has naturally aroused the strong opposition of importers, for if the Kill becomes law they might as well go out of business and tile foreign export trade which the United States built up during the war, and has strenuously sought '■<> .nothin and enlarge, will dwindle U> nothing. Soule of Un'SO VriUdniluivy pulltkinhs, n* it is, io«k Vipon the hip

port aii<l <*x]>ort torcMLcn trade merchant ;is if Ik.* were nn enemy <>l his com try, .such is the |s«ss lo which things have come. These rock-ribbed, dyed-in-the-wool. old-time Republicans cannot renli.se that in order to sell it is necessary to I my, and that if we want to «ivc

Europe the opportunity Lo pay off her obligations to us, and the enormous war burden which she has to carry. w must give her the chance to sell os goods. Rut what change will she have if we build 111) a trade wall with a tarill so high that it will practically keep out foreign goods and will invite a commercial war? This Mill is a deal worse than the old, Aldric li-Payne tarill'. which was had enough and it call only result io making the consumer pay higher prices for his goods and deleat the attempt to bring down the cost of living The ‘‘interests” will be the only ones to benefit. Fortunately there ire ,arge numbers of Republicans, protectionists though they have- always been, who aiy vigorously opposed to the present extreme Rill, and they are likely to make their voices felt They realise that the world and its allairs have changed considerably since tin* war. and the whole situation has changed, when* by the United States lias become tin 1 great creditor nation, lias become an exporting nation, and needs loreign markets for her surplus of production. The stifles! sort of light will, therefore be waged against this Rill, and if President Harding ha • got. inn statesmanship at,out him In* will have tin* opportunity of displaying it by using bis lull iK-tleO to curb tile extreme protectionists from committing the worst blunder that they can perform, even from a party point of view, as if they insi-i on putting their Hill through it can only be at the. cost of splitting their own party as they did once before by the same tactics. One of the obnoxious features of the new Rill is that which provides for new methods of valuation and assessment. It would make importers pay not on the value of tin* goods ns from the point of origin. Imt nil the American value. This has cans, ed a storm of protwst and will lie bitterly opposed. Instances of extensive alteration are seen in the textile .schedules (especially in wools and in farm products, in drugs and chemicals. A proposed tax on imported erode oil lias also invited considerable protest. Articles which were once free are now to be heavily taxed. The tariff question has always been the bane f American polities. The Democrats have not enough members to be able to Conduct a successful fight against- the new Mill without the aid if independent Republicans, hut nevertheless it is certain the Rill cannot go through without considerable amendment.