| Show TARifF ISSUE AWAKE Report of the Commission Sent to Berlin js is s Due After the Holiday Recess PRESIDENT IS IN DOUBT CONGRESS NOT FAVORABLE TO TOA RECIPROCITY A ECI Special to The Herald Washington Dec Dee 23 Commercial 2 agreements or general revision alternative methods sharply distinct di of t dealing with the tariff will be pro pre presented pr to congress when It reconvenes alter after the tho holidays The separation between n these th se two distinct lines of at policy will it is now expected be drawn sharply as lS a result of the report by the tile American tariff commission which h was sent to Berlin with Dr S N D North at Its head This report Is due to reach Washing Washington ton during the holidays Much depends depend upon its character but private reports received in Washington indicate that the report will point out a series of mu mutual mutual mutual concessions on the part of Ger Germany Germany many and of the United States in the tle execution of the tariffs of or each country in their customhouses that would tend to avert the tariff war threatened threat ned by bythe bythe bythe the enforcement of the new German derman tariff on July 1 I 1907 Would Be Limited But eyen een such an arrangement if U f recommended by the commission in its report to the th secretary of state ap approved approved approved proved by the president and put Into operation op ration In our ports port of entry by the thc secretary of the treasury would necessarily necessarilY necessarily bo limited in extent and tem tern temporary temporary In nature However it might modify their administration as to the inspection and appraisement of imports from each country into the Other ther it i could not affect the tariff laws of the States and Germany The crisis that would be caused by the threatened enforcement of the German maximum tariff against the United States next July would at best befit be made less acute or again postponed It is confidently expected there therefore therefore fore that the secretary of state will present the result of the American commissions labors in Berlin to the president who vho will ill transmit the report to congress accompanied by a special message me age There is 15 no no reason to sup suppose suppose suppose pose that the message e will wUI advise any specific action such luch as recommending any bill But It can be pointed d out that the trade of the United States with its second largest customer in the world will be bea a stake and that our domestic exports to German even Bunder under the present severi severe V re restrictions r imposed S d by bythe bythe bythe the agrarian party In that country amount to a year Would ld Force the Issue Suh a presidential message would precipitate the issue squarely before to enter upon gen general general eral revision r immediately or after an nn investigation by the ways means committee or by b a special tariff commission or whether to authorize the tho th executive to enter Into commercial agreements using as a basis of trad trading tradIng tradIng ing concessions In schedules that have become admittedly too high because of oh changed industrial condition There is but one bill before congress proposing such a method of modifying the tariff In places where duties can be lowered within a limit prescribed pre by b act 3 t of congress with advantage to o trade and without tur ance to domestic business prosperity The attitude of nf Speaker Sm akel Cannon and of ot t those who w with him control contro the con conduct conduct OJ duct of legislation in the house is Ja at present such that there Is f no JW ity of f the Curtis Wit hill being l ing taken ta n up in inthis Inthis inthis this congress unless uness an issue is pre presented prevented vented tented that th t force its consideration tion The German situation when laid before congress congre 13 in fn a special message would present such an issue President Pr Is Timid It Is a prediction almost uh superfluous that the executive would no n mit t request r s such an extension of his hll hi authority even ev n within the prescribed d scope and a n limited time as the Curtis bill bm provid providing ing for commercial agreements agreement pro pm posts pos s Yet it Is Js conceivable that the I president might be willing to receive an I authority and andr responsibility which he e would not ask aS But the asking would i inot not be necessary if the situation pre presented presented i by b our commercial relations r with Germany is such as of to push the Curtis bill bili into consideration That measure me lure it must be explained e would authorize the president pre ident to enter into commercial agreements agre ments with any nY y country concerning the admission therein of products of or the tle United Uni cd States and in consideration of the ad advantages advantages advantages vantages accruing to the United States would provide for the reduction during a specified period not exceeding five years year of ot the tho Dingley duties antics to the UI x tent ent of not more than 20 per cent upon such goods as may be he designated q of oi the t e country count Y with which a il agreement Is s Radical Innovation The proposal to delegate such sUJ author authority ity ty strikes many members m of the house at first impression as almost radical But Mr Curtis points pointe out that his measure meas re is really conservative It is isa i in a n proposition wholly constitutional l he ic said because the house exercises Its ts prerogative in originating revenue legislation by specifying juet just how far the he executive may go in negotiating n for larger arger foreign markets market for our pur products in m return for lower duties upon some ome of our imports It also limits the time within which w ich such agreements may maybe be valid It does not require the tion by the senate or the approval by congress con ess of such agreements That Tha re requirement requirement requirement in section 4 of the Dingley act proved fatal to all the reciprocity treaties I can say to the house hou when my bill bin comes up Here is your only alternative to general tariff revision which must come if you postpone the question Here is a chance to amend the tariff where it jt needs amendment to have it done by its friends and at atthe atthe atthe the same time to obtain a n return by freer entrance for our own products into foreign markets These proposed commercial agreements combine com ine all the advantages of reciprocity advocated advocated by Blaine Blame Harrison Marrison and DIngley with adherence to the principle and practice of protection to American industries It is of course not conceivable that the executive would negotiate commercial agree agreements agreements agreements ments whose concessions on the part of this country would injure a single domestic industry Congressional Opinion There are found the most widely di divergent divergent divergent opinions among members of congress as to the German Gorman tariff One Republican member of the first rank tank rankIn In leadership and influence declared dectar germany buys of ot us only what she has lias to buy such as copper cotton lard and petroleum These are arc not manufactured m goods yet Germany German wants tO sell us her manufactured goods g in competition with our own man manufactures manufactures manufactures As Ys Germany cannot possibly possibly possibly bly get to specify one material alone without our cotton it looks to tome tome tome me as if the United States could stand pat until Germany is willing to admit our meat and meat products But an another another another other Republican also prominent in the affairs of the t e house said I was In Berlin lai lasi summer ummer and met scores of or American n merchants who were plunged Into the deepest gloom They told me mc they faced ruin unless this government should do something before next July to hold off the enforcement of the max maximum maxImum German tariff One American dealer de ler in dried fruits whose sales sale amounted to many hundreds of thou thousands sands of dollars a p year is 1 but an ex example example example ample Then Thea there are tho dealers in h American agricultural implements American machinery ma American type typewriters typewriters typewriters writers and other mechanical devices who have prospered greatly but see an end to their business in the German market within six months The principle of commercial agree agreements agreements agreements ments to be negotiated by py the execl executive executive tive within it ln a range prescribed by con congress congress congress gress is involved also in the plan of n a maximum and minimum tariff That plan would woul l be contingent upon an alto altogether altogether gether geher new Jaw law |
