Word: fordney
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Dates: during 1920-1929
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...part of the Fordney Tariff Bill which deals with imported books has come in for much merited abuse. The more thoughtful part of the press, as well as all the prominent educationalists, have been outspoken in their condemnation of it. But, to our knowledge, no one has arisen in its defence. In fact even the publishers, who might be expected to profit by the measure, have declared their disfavor...
...mean little more than a direct tax on education, a fine that any man must pay for the privilege of adding to his mental store. It has not been usual in past economic systems to regard learning as a material commodity. To make it dutiable now, as Mr. Fordney inadvertently proposes to do, is to bring in a dangerous innovation and to do much injustice as well...
...proposed increase in duty on imported books will act in the nature of a direct tax on all students who are book-buyers. Mr. Fordney, in looking over last year's tariff reports, discovered that of the seven million dollars' worth of books annually imported, only two million are dutiable; therefore, without apparently stopping to ask "Why?" he decided that here was a convenient source of revenue, and included all books in his tariff bill, at the same time increasing the existing rate. But he did not stop at that; he further provided that the rate should be paid...
When "the party of intelligence" undertakes tariff meddling with the business of intelligent men, it is apt to get into trouble. This old truth is freshly exemplified in the remarkable protest against the duties on books proposed by the Fordney bill, signed as it is by all the leading publishers of the United States. They state in the first place that they do not need higher rates on imparted books than those of the existing law, and have not asked for them. Next; they point out that, if the new system of "American valuation" were to be applied to books...
...with the domestic product. Yet their price would be much enhanced by the proposed duties and method of valuation, with the inevitable result of placing a needless and vexing burden upon American scholarship. As books of the kind mentioned would have to be imported in small lots, if Mr. Fordney has his way with the publishers, the additional cost would bear heavily upon those who must have them. Altogether, this gratuitous and senseless levy upon the tools of education is one of the most offensive provisions of the pending Tariff bill, and should be stricken out by the Senate...