Speech #810132924

I can bring to the attention of the Senate scores of examples such as this. but to me the one I have just mentioned stands out preeminently. Representative COLMER. of Mississippi. has introduced a bill calling for price support on this commodity. and argued on the floor that "at least 80 percent of the tung oil used in this country is imported from China. We are up against the proposition of competing with Chinese coolie labor." When the issue of reciprocal trade was raised in relation to Mr. COLTMERS price support bill the Member from Mississippi made another statement which I think is so perfectly obviousand it probably would have been made by any other Representative coming from his section of the country. regardless of partythat I want to quote his statement: �..he question has been raised and will be raised no doubt during the debate on other remediesfor instance. import duties. Obviously. if we had an import duty or a tariff on tung oil to protect our American farmers from vicious competition with Chinese coolie labor. we would not need a support price. but we all know that the administration is sold on the reciprocaltrade agreements. and. in fact. favors free trade. We also know that. notwithstanding the fact that tung oil is the only oil that does not have an import duty on it. the administration is opposed to such a duty because of its desire to help China. I may say in this connection that more than 4 years ago I introduced a bill that would require an import duty of 5 cents a pound on tung oil imported into this country.