Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-03
TARIFF BILL FOR
SPECIAL SESSION
Will Not be Reported Before
March but Revision viii be
The Principal Issue.
HEARINGS MAY BE CONTINUED
Members Of Ways and Means Commit
tee Feel That Interested Parties
Should Have Opportunities.

Washington. Dec. 3.--Althoush it is
not proposed to report the new tariff
bill which will be framed by the house
ways and means committee to Congress
until the special session which Presi-
dent elect Taft will call In March, it is
evident that the question of tariff re-
vision Will be the principal one under
the discussion during the winter While
the ways and means committee has not
determined whether to continue the
present hearings, the general feeling
among Its members Is that there should
be further opportunities for interested
parties to appear before the committee
and present their views on the proposed
revision.
One Republican member OF the COM
mittee declared recently that the COM
mittee would ask Congress for power
to subpoena witnesses at supplemental
hearings. Representative Champ Clark,
OF the minority. went step further.
1t would be better he said. "if
we would be given power to sub
pona witnesses and have them sworn
In and made to answer questions when
they appear before the committee"
On the other hand Representative
Crumpacker of Indiana, who was
present at yesterdays hearing for the
first time since he conferred with
President-elect Taft at Holt Springs
in regard to the tariY question, does
not believe the committee would gain
anything by supboenaing witnesses
He strongly favors the continuation OF
the hearing throughout the short ses-
sion OF Congress. the committee to
meet for this purpose once or twice a
week
There has been some criticism in
the newspapers of tho methods being
pursued by the committee in conduct
ing these hearings" said Mr.. Crum-
packer in discussing, the work OF re-
visng the tariff.
This is probably made with the
object of discrediting in the public mind
anything the committee might do. Mr..
Taft was a little concerned regarding
this criticism when I saw him at Hot
Springs, but it is very evident that the
committee Is unanimous in its desire to
go into the matter thoroughly"
Besides" he continued this criti-s
Fcism win have the effect of squirting
the committee on to do good work
The committee Will make a thorough
investigation Of the tariff question:
some members of the committee are
not In sympathy with the movement for
a thorough revision of the tariff, it is
regarded as certain that such a revision
WIFI be EN- bodied in the bill which will
be presented to Congress at the spe-
cal session for political, If not for eco
nolnic reasons.
The hearing on wool and wool pro-
ducts was continued today. Represent
tatives of the National Wool Growers
association, which, it Is claimed. in
cludes 70 per cent Of the wool growers
Of the United States. addressed the
committee today. This organization
has been prominently Identified with
the movement for protective duty
and while its representatives did not
ask for an increase In the duties on
wool they requested the continuation
Of the present schedule.
Representatives of the wool pulling
industry appeared to ask for an in
crease of four cents in the differential.
in the duties on wool fleece and wool
on the skin. The former now pays
tariff of IL cents a pound and the lat
ter 10 cents.
Henry c. Reinreke of Philadelphia,
suggested that revenue could be Sc
cured If a duty were placed on rabbit
skins. These are being imported by
hatters, he said, and contain valuable
fiber.
wouldn't that promote the rabbit in
dustry in this country?" suggested Rep
resentative Crumpacker. of Indiana.
The first advocate of reduction in
the tariff on wool was Andrew J. Lois,
an importer and commission merchant
of Boston. He said that the purpose
of a protective tariff is to increase pro-
duction and not prices.
Mr.. Lois claimed that he knew of
the existence of ''woolen trust and
said that the duty was too great on the
finished product OF wool. He desired
a reduction of 33 cents per pound on.
wool and the came compensatory re-
duction on the manufactured articles
of wool.