The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-12-01
HOW NEW
TARIFF
MEASURE:
IS MADE:
Copyright. 19OSD

Copyright, 19OSD
Washington, Dec 2-Wheu the new
msmber OF Congress reaches Wasn-
ington carrying, tucked away in hin
inside pocket. bill TO Increase the
tarlff on barley from 30 10 80 eelis
per nushel he is fill OF hope and d
termination His constituents demand
this increase in the customs rates
and he is impressed with the justice
of their demand. His ambition is.to
have IL enacted into law On the
FIRST Opportunity he introduces his
bin and it is promrtly referred to
the committee on Ways aud Means
At the end OF the session "a Is still
reposing peacefully in a pigeon hole
OF the desk OF Serene e. Payne. the
chairman of the committee.
During tnat first term OF the new
member he has learned a great many
things. among them that It Is no easy
matter TO change any tariff schedule
lie came TO Washington imbued with
the belief that he had only 10 impress
upon the House Of Representatives
the views OF his conslitaents TO Sc.
cure the Increase In the duty on bar.
ley He leaves Washington at the
close OF the session with full un-
derstanding OF the doctrine that the
tariff Is a sacred thing, only TO be
touched when the party in power de-
cides that conditions require
change The views of individual
members and the demands OF their
OF the Ways and Means committee
as water has on a ducks back.
Now the tariff Is to be revised. The
Republicans having won at the No
vember elections. are going about the
redemption of their platform pledge
to undertake this work And II IS
Of interest to examine into the
methods of making new tariff law.
Few people, no doubt, have clear
and comprehensive idea of how this
Is done Few. II is certain. realize
the tremendous amount of work in
volyed In the task, the confederation
of almost linitless details. the SIT
ing out of facts and ~ istlcs.
In the preesnt inst ~ the initial
step was taken at thea.-st session of
Congress when resolution was
adopted authorizing the Ways and
Means committee of the House and
the Finance committee of the senate
20 employ experts and gather data
bearing upon the subject of the tar
III. AS result of this action, dur
ing the summer the government
agents were kept busy gathering
facts from every possible source ana
compiling them into usable form.
They went into the government .e-
ports and ascertained the value Of
manufactures in all important lines
In this country, the value and
amount of imports aud exports. the
amount of capital invested here and
the number of People employed IN
these industries. Comparisons were
made with former years TO deter
mine whether existing tariff sched-
ules are encouraging Industries and
are making work for more men. All
this Information was thus available
for use OF the Ways and Means com
m'ttee when II began TO hold hear
ings early in November.
These hearings were conducted
here In Washington for the purpose
OF giving all interested parties an
opportunity TO be heard on the sched.
ules II any man thought the tariff
bH particular pIblNNA ouOuiO bt
raised ne came and told his reasons
10 the committee. II any was of the
opinion that rate should be lower
ed, he had the chance to present his
views Many who We're interested IN
the subject did not appear personal
ly but prepared briefs which were
submitted to the committee and will
be before the members when they
come to The actual work of drafting
the new bill
The next step win be the framing
Of the bin This viii not be done by
the whole Ways and Means commit.
tee, bat by the Republican members
lof H. They viii get together from
lime 20 time ana go over this mass
OF information that has been gather
ed and from It will decide what rates
should be imposed in each case. AS
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