Show s e 8 National Topics Interpreted by William Bruckart 4 e I Washington I heard a n middle middle- ml western business man say on a visit Isit to Washing Washing- Tariff ton the other day Negotiations that there was one tiling tiling- about the New Deal which made him feel at nt home Ills visit was In connectIon connection tion n with some of the State department department depart depart- ment negotiations for new tariff t treaties with foreign countries He spent several se days In those discussions discus discus- sious and the nature of at the conversation con con- was such he observed later that he felt a n conservative e tinge remained In the New Deal Cordell Hull nun secretary of state and perhaps one of at the most thorough thorough thorough thor thor- ough students of tariff questions recently described 1 the tariff bargaining bargaining bar bar- gaining negotiations as ns stepping backward to what he considers ers as ns asa asa a n soun sound 1 basis for solution of ot tariff problems air Mr Ir Hull HulI always has favored favored fa fn low tariff rates but from all nIl of at the Information coming out of the tariff negotiations It Is made to appear that the secretary of state Is willing to see some high tariff rates established 1 where those rates do o not en engender ender retaliatory action on the part of foreign governments with the result that a 21 high tariff wall surrounds the several nations The observation of at the middle- middle westerner therefore must be accepted accepted accepted ac ac- ac- ac as some reassurance It Is Isun un undoubtedly true that there are many manufacturing Interests In Inthis Inthis Inthis this country who are figuratively ely scared to death over the prospects v of f the n administrations administration's tariff treaty Nevertheless there are factors Influencing the results of the various s negotiations which many observers believe will react to the benefit of ot American Industries industries Indus indus- tries long used to high tariff pro pro- This does not mean that the new V 4 rates worked out by the negotiators are going oln to be comparable In an any anyway anyway way to the For McCumber Fordney-McCumber or orthe orthe the Smoot Hawley rates I 1 am nm Informed informed In in- formed torme 1 also that It does not mean the new rates applying between In Indi Individual l- l vidual countries that are now parties parties par par- ties to the new treaties will be comparable comparable com com- parable to the low rates of ot the Underwood tariff tarter bill In other wor words s while I am not making the I statement that the new rates will willbe willbe be 1 scientifically I feel teel that the opportunity Is available fi for establishment es es- establishment of sound as ns well as ns y- y y scientific tariff charges The progress of or the negotiations has been accompanied 1 by the usual i amount of alarm I Arouses that always occurs U Usual ual Alarm when statesmen are tinkering wIthe with e tariff tarUI I hear talk however purely purely from a n political standpoint that the administration would not dare to frighten n business generally Just In advance of ot an election There have han been too many demands for tor reassuring statements from the Jj I administration something on whIch business would woul feel free to proceed I to cause n administration spokesmen esmen to take talce such a chance at nt this time It Is to be recalled In this connection connection connection tion that the Treasury has been smiling on prospective bond buyers huyers by making guarded d statements that there will be no early carly Inflationary steps In rn addition the National Recovery Recovery Recovery Re Re- covery Administration virtually has abandoned Its crack down policy and the Agricultural Adjustment Administration has hag said In several languages lately that crop restriction restriction tion will not be as rigid next year It would seem t therefore that the whole movement Is Just a little bit bitto bitto to the conservative side but as has been su suggested this may be due to the forthcoming election Whether that Is correct only time will tell Beyond the superficial election appeal appeal appeal ap ap- peal of a assurance on tariff questions however howe there certainly Is a feeling in Washington that Mr Hull can cnn travel a long way In working worl out the tariff problems It If he Is permitted permitted per per- to do so It Is to be remembered remembered always that a thousand and andone andone andone one Influences are aro brought to bear hear any time an administration seeks to revise the tho tariff It does appear though h that the various committees working under Mr Hulls Hull's direction are examining each case on Its merits Of Ot course the conclusions they reach rench will not satisfy everybody every every- b- b body no tariff rates can perform that function an and there will be much wailing walling and gnashing of or teeth before It Il Is all aU over oyer but If it there Is anything In prospects the current prospects seem to hold forth more hope for a reasonable adjustment of ot tariff questions than have appeared on the horizon for Cor some time Mr Hull has been discreetly vague In enunciating his policies and has ir-has has not given Iven business generally n definite Idea what measuring rod ho he Is using It Is assumed In many quarters that he will employ something something some some- thin thing of the same policy used usell In his pronouncements In the world economic economic economic eco eco- conference in Montevideo last fall In these pronouncements Mr Hull suggested ested that tariff protection protection protection pro pro- ought might ht to be bo extended to commodities the Importation of i which Is less than 5 per cent of domestic consumption He ile also Bu suggested that there was no sound t for or maintaining a hl high h rate of protection for Industries which as he said had such protection for fora a n considerable period of time and ha had not been able un under that protection protection protection pro pro- to develop their production production tion to the point where the output amounted 1 to less than 15 per cent of ot the amount of or such commodity consumed In this country I Treasury experts have gone to work In preparation of ot n a new tax tac bill bUt I reported to Prepare New you a n month ago ugo Tax Bill that this could not be a avoided The question now is how v much revenue revenue revenue rev rev- will the tho administration attempt attempt attempt at at- tempt to raise At the outset It must be remembered remembered that there are tax levies leles raising rais rais- In ing approximately five hundred million mil mil- lion dollars annually due to terminate terminate terminate I nate next year This revenue must be replaced But there Is much more money needed because the the- program of spending our way out of or orthe the depression probably will be expanded expanded expanded ex ex- ex- ex during the coming winter Secretary will have havethe havethe havethe the benefit of ot reports of at his own experts experts ex ex- experts and of or a study under way by bya byn a n special subcommittee of ot the house of at representatives He also will wm have the b benefit nent of a survey of or the British taxing system that is being m-a m made by a n group of ot tax authorities sent abroad especially for tor that Job But I gather from the discussions heard around Washington that it Is not the question of size of ot tax rates rotes on the scientific basis under consideration consideration consid consid- that Is considered most Im Im- im- im Frankly unbiased observers ers contend the significance of the present presen t tax tat study lies In in a fact that will not be disclosed until later Inter namely whether the administration Is preparing to balance the budget at ot an early date The resignation of Lewis W W. Douglas as ns director of at the bud budget ct links straight Into this question Mr Douglas Is variously reported as having Insisted strongly for curtailment curtailment curtailment cur cur- of recovery expenditures and an nn early balance of outgo and Income He left the Job as a gentleman gentle genUe- man and did not criticize his t former chief Nevertheless signs are numerous numerous nu nu- that Mr Roosevelt and nd Mr Douglas Doulas df did not see eye ere to eye In Inthe Inthe Inthe the matter of easy rel release nse of cash cashin in the manner that has been followed followed fol tol- fol- fol lowed 1 since the recovery program got un under way Some observers here contend conten on what they insist is unimpeachable authority that Mr Douglas was urging a curtailment in expenditures expenditures expendi expendi- tures an and 1 a R sharp Increase in taxation taxation taxa taxa- tion so that the next federal budget would woul 1 be In balance with the beginnIng beginning beginning begin begin- ning of the fiscal year ear next nest July 1 That would woul 1 represent a tremendous Job Mr 11 Dou Douglas las knows what the problem Is nn and 1 he also knows as asa asa asa a big business man how necessary It Is to assure holders hoMers of fe federal bonds that their funds are safe It Is to be assumed from all aU of the straws which the wind has hns blown that the break came on that ques ques- tion If that assumption be correct wise acres are sa saying ln It means that the next tax tat bill will be held to the minimum a Although It may Inay be a abit bit ghoulish It Is a fact tact that speculation has begun begun begun be be- gun respecting ap Supreme Court to the Speculation Supreme court atthe of at the United States At present all of or the nine Justices are In good health despite their advanced advanced ad nd- age Five of or them are In their seventies and o only ly one is younger than sixty The appointment appointment appointment appoint appoint- ment speculators therefore think that President Roosevelt will be called caned upon In the course of at a year t to name another Justice The circumstance seems to have developed as a psychological result and as an nn aftermath of the death of ot Speaker Henry T T. T Rainey of tho the house bouse of representatives Mr Raineys Rainey's death of ot course has political political political po po- po- po significance and once the speculators were started they carried carrl car car- rl red ried d on The present assumption Is 13 that Senator Joe T. T 1 Robinson of ot Arkansas Arkan Arkan- sas the Democratic leader lender will be name named 1 to the Supreme court when there Is a vacancy It would tul fulfill U Senator Robinsons Robinson's ambition and It would be a compliment to him for forthe forthe forthe the yeoman service he has performed performed performed per per- formed for tor the New Deal But the elevation of or Senator Robinson would le leave lee e In the something of ot a n battle for tor leadership there and that Is la the thing a about out which the politicians lans at the moment are giving giving ing some thought The majority leader In the senate or the house necessarily must be something of a ayes ayes ayes yes man Without detracting from Senator Robinsons Robinson's ability ItIs itis it itIs Is generally known that he has acquIesced acquiesced ac ac- acquiesced In all of the New Deal proposals proposals proposals pro pro- without having In his own mind a n conviction that they were the best pieces of ot le legislation that Unit could be drafted so If It and and- when he Is elevated ele to th the Supreme court there will be a a scramble among among- some of the senators who crave the honor of or leadership and who also desire for political purposes to demonstrate their fealty to the New Den Deal 1 0 We Western Newspaper Union |