DICTATORS POWERS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 221, 15 April 1933, Page 5

DICTATORS POWERS

MR. ROOSEVELT'S REQUEST International Trade Agreements MEASURE TO GO TO CONGRESS Press Association. —Copyright. Now York, April 13. —The New York Times' Washington correspondent says that the President's request for authority for negotiating international trade agreements similar in character to the "dictatorial" powers he has used in meeting the domestic emergency will be sent to Congress in the next few days. The major outline of the measure has bee» completed and the details are expected to be sufficiently agreed on for the President to write his special message to Congress. Tariff experts. Congressional leaders and State and Commerce Department officials have all been busy on the project, which Mr. Roosevelt desires enacted before the representatives of 42 nations gather here for the discussion preliminary to the general economic conference. The President under the Bill will seek the following powers: (1) Sole authority to change the existing tariff rates by executive proclamation, subject only to submitting changes in the report to Congress; (2) the power of negotiating a multi-lateral treaty at the world economic conference whereby all the tariff duties would be decreased horizontally; (3) authority to make bi-lateral agreements for reductions beyond the multilateral horizontal reductions to the maximum of 50 per cent, permitted under the flexible provisions of the present Tariff Act; (4) aulhority to enunciate a policy of "bargaining" with other nations in adjusting tariff rates, as well as the "difference in cost of production" followed under the present Tariff Act and the Farmers' Bill. If he can find a way around the constitutional inhibitions involved, he will probably include in the measure authority for the President to effect reductions even greater than the 50 per cent, prescribed in the present law or the transfer of articles from the dutiable list to the free list and vice versa.

The principal question involved is how far Congress can go in delegating authority to the President to change tariff rates without denying him his own constitutional mandate to fix rates for the Government's revenue.

One of the other oirt standing difficulties is the President's campaign pledge given in Baltimore on October 25 that he would not lower agricultural tariffs. The State Department < xperts found this embarrassing, with complications probable, particularly relating to the possible trade agreement with Argentina and Canada, which are interested primarily in lowering the rates on primary products. The State Department announces that Notes have been sent to all of the 42 nations having diplomatic missions in Washington but which have not been invited to send special representatives to the Fvoosevclt conversations, inviting them to c: change views through diplomatic civ nels.

This action followed reports of dissatisfaction among some countries not specially invited. Each Note was accompanied by a personal note from Mr. Cordell Hull. Secretc.-y of State, referring to the apparent impossibility of all nations sending special representatives because of the lack of time.