THE H.B. TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1929 U.S. TARIFF-MAKING

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 305, 11 December 1929, Page 6

THE H.B. TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1929 U.S. TARIFF-MAKING

In touching yesterday upon the Tariff Bill that has been so long, and is still, before the American Legislature regard was had more especially to the items dealing with the duties on raw wool and their possible influence on American buyers in the Dominion. There is, however, a good deal of general, if not very edifying, interest in the reading of the reports of proceedings in the Senate, which cast a flood of light on the motives and methods that go to the construction of a new tariff system in the United States. As was mentioned, while the Bill was introduced with the primary purpose of providing added protection for American farm products, it was at. once seized upon by manufacturing interests in the hope of securing some like advantage. But the claims made on account of these interests were by no means <onfined to secondary industries that were really requiring any such support. They extended to many that were manifestly well estab lished a,nd execedirgl.v ;;r ■ i i-i-i. us, and which were olvA.t Y |

for higher duties merely in the hope of being thus enabled to reap bigger profits from home consumers, the question of Government revenue-raising not entering at all into the question.

It 'might have been expected that under these circumstances the claims thus advanced would have met with short shrift from the Legislature entrusted with the ultimate decision. Such, however* was far from being the case. “Big money” brought its weighty influence to bear, and we find a quite sufficient number in the Senate ready to listen to its blandishments and fight its cause. In doing this such questionable tactics have been adopted as to provoke some very scathing comment from the independent press. One such journal, while admitting the need for assistance to rural industries, comes to the conclusion that “it is in no way certain that the enactment of any Tariff Pill is either essential to the maintenance of favourable business conditions or desirable after the innumerable delays and scandals which have attended its senatorial discussion.” It goes on to state that many of the schedules submitted are, to say the very hest of them, under strong suspicion hot-h as to their origin and as to the means by which they have gained support--“the trail of the lobbyist is over them all.” A regretful confession is made that “there has never been a. Tariff Bill enacted without crowding Washington with the agents of those who desire special privileges and advantages, regardless altogether of how they may affect the general industrial body." But, having made this admission, the journal quoted has no hesitation in adding that “never have the scandals thus created been quite so disheartening to friends of honest government as in the tariff hearings of 1929. No parallel,” it proceeds, “ to the Bingham case can bo cited, nor in past years have the activities of individual lobbyists been so glaringly exposed.” The agents of profitable industries already highly protected and in need of no further artificial aid have nevertheless raided Congress and diverted its energies from the effort to assist farmers. Tn order to defeat this raid the whole Bill will probably have to be sacrificed.

In the face of the many malign influences thus seen to be at work, and with some possible prospect of success, it is said that “public sentiment would look with entire philosophy upon the complete failure to pass tariff legislation of any kind at present.” We have heard very little of the Bill since the foregoing extracted comment was made some four or five weeks back, and, as was said yesterday, there is still a bare possibility of the Bill being forced through in some shape or other. But should it, as seems more likely, find itself shelved, then we may quote the old saying that “it is an ill wind that blows nobody any good.” For it will be the shameless self-seekers in the United States and their legislative tools whom New Zealand woolgrowers will have to thank for keeping the American market as accessible as it is to their product.