The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-03-16
Tariff Reform Agitation Cannot
Be Downed.
PRESIDENT Is FAVORABLE
What the concess ors to German,
Provide; Bill Is lntrod. ced
In Congress.

st. Paul. March l0.-A Washingto
special, giving details of the marked con
cessions to Germany by the United State,
by President Roosevelt in return for tn,
agreement by the German reichstag t.
postpone the enforcement of the nev
German tariff act so far as it applies t,
the United States says:
Closely following the monster petition
presented by Congressman f. c. Steven.
of Minnesota to the president, and b.
the chief executive sent to the senate
where 1T was presented by Senate
Moses f. Clapp, in behalf of upward
Twenty thousand German American
citizens of Minnesota. who desire annie
able and agreeable commercial relation
between the United States and Germany
came the proclamation of Presiden
Roosevelt, declaring for marked conces
sons in determining the duties of Ger
man exports to American and giving oil
ders for their enforcement.
The president did this under the pro
visions of the Dingley tariff act, and
took the breath away from the radica
stand patters like Congressman Mo
Cleary, author of the 25 per cent add
tional tariff 'retaliatory measure. Sum
;,, ;af
on the part of the United States pro
vide
First-In re-appraisement of merchan
disc from Germany before board
three, the importer or consignee of The
merchandise involved may be presentet
by counsel and have the right to hear al
testimony regarding the value set b,
recognized boards of trade in the country
of origin of shipment, and shall forwar
price lists compiled by such boards
trade.
1t will be observed that these change.
are on the surface not necessarily YER
radical at the same time the discretion
given to the special agents is almost un
limited
Hereafter cooperation and not antag
onism is to be the policy of the customs
house officials. In other words the Unit
ed States has met Germany half way il
the tariff situation which two weeks age
threatened to become political ques
ton and issue in this country.
According to the republican congress
men who favor tariff revision, the con
cessions that can be made by the presi
dent under the Dingley bill is almost
equivalent to amendments to existing
schedules of that bill.
Under the concessions above quoted 9
secretary of the treasury who is favor.
able to liberal construction of the
section of the Dingley law which permits
concessions would so frame the rules
and regulations, so that the tariff con
cessions between two countries fOunde
on mutual agreement would rebound to
the benefit of each.
But the standpatters like Mr.. Nc
Cleary, and by the way he is standing
practically alone, have no fear that the
present secretary will construe the act
literally. He has always been strong
opponent of open hearings before the
board of appraisers and gave to that
body powers and autocrats composed of
five kings or cars.
Bills Are introduced.
But here is the most significant fea
ture in connection with the tariff conces
sions between the United States and
Germany. Chairman Payne of the ways
and means committee has introduced a
bill to carry into effect several marked
changes proposed by the president to the
customs administrative act.
Secretary Shaw went before the COM
mittee and opposed it. Another bill By
Congressman Van Vechten of New
York is pending. Hearings on both
bills will be heard this session.
Meanwhile the tariff reform agitation
continues. and the indications are that
there will be straight issue on that
question in the approaching COMPRESSION
al campaign this fall.