A TAX ON KNOWLEDGE

The 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.

As we pointed out in this column last October, the bill will increase the price of foreign-language books, and English books published more than twenty years ago, by an amount ranging from 20 to 33 1-3 percent. Such a proposal comes to 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.

The action of the Harvard Corporation in officially protesting against the measure is well justified and distinctly appropriate. As the resolution states, the duty would "seriously handicap American libraries, teachers, and men of science, and would accomplish no useful purpose commensurate with the harm done to American scholarship". If other authoritative bodies like the Corporation will take similar action, Congress should be made to see the error of its contemplated step before the sentence is sealed.