418

AGRICULTURAL RELIEF
brought two carpets home and told the wife they would discuss
colors, one red and the other green. He preferred red, she the green.
The green was preferred by the wife, and the husband said we ** com-
promise upon the green.” Is that the idea?

Mr. Taper. That is not a compromise. When anybody says at any
particular time that does not include all the dots on the i’s and all
crosses on the t's is abject surrender and is not stating just what he
believes. .

I believe and you believe that a compromise means that two groups
of people earnestly striving for the common good, realizing that they
can not have exactly what they want, accept a common ground be-
tween the different positions that have been set up. And that is our
notion of a compromise.

We have two methods proposed: One is a large-salaried board,
with ramifications of different official connection; the other is a non-
salaried board and an automatic provision. There might be a com-
promise somewhere between those two positions. The other is a
position of using the machinery established by the Government for
a century and a quarter, for the protection of American capital and
American labor and American industry, by protecting the American
market to the American producer, and its completing half is what
we know as the export debenture idea. That is one side.

And across over here [illustrating] is the theory of excise taxes
for the equalization of costs administration; and between these two
positions there may be some position, and I believe there is a posi-
tion of compromise; and that position of compromise ought to be
such that it comprehends the good of American agriculture, and not
the good of any particular locality, section, group. organization or
unit.

Mr. Kercuam. Right there, at that point, Mr. Taber: The theory
of the protective tariff is to equalize the cost of production here and
abroad, so that we shall not force our laboring men to come into
competition with the lower price and possibly lower scale of labor
of other communities. My understanding of your advocacy of this
particular proposition is, that you want to apply the same situation
with reference to our American farmers, with regard to the products
they sell abroad. You do not want to bring them into world com-
petition in the growth of the things that they have to export in
agricultural commodities; is that correct ?

Mr. Taser. You are exactly correct. We should provide in the
bill the same adjustments of the difference in cost of production at
home and abroad, for the raising or lowering of debenture rate. that
we provide in the flexible provision of the tariff.

Mr. Kerceam. I think that is all, Mr. Chairman.

The Cuaamrrmax. 1 would like to ask you a few questions. 1 would
first like to ask you if you would favor amendments that would
strengthen the bill ?

Mr. TaBer. You are correct.

The Crairmax. Of course, we might differ as to what might
a it. That would be a matter of judgment. Would you
fre 2 Jipangion of policy, to preserve advantageous domestic

ets tor agricultural commodities; would you be willing to in-
corporate that in your declaration of policy ?