The Washington times., 1908-12-20
REAL TARIFF REVISION
CERTAIN IN THE HOUSE
Hearings Have Shown Tha Many Schedules Can Be
Lowered or Even Wiped Out-Senate May Re
SSt General Reduction, However
BY JOHN SNURE.

Ii begins 10 look az it the country may
secure a real revision OF the tariff and
some genuine reductions Of duties. after
all the talk that has been heard about
the projected readjustment of the Ding
ley schedules being made a farce.
The hearings before the House Ways
and Means Committee are drawing 10 a
close. Andrew Carnegie's appearance
tomorrow is the last regular hearing on
the books, though briefs will be filed
for a considerable time later. But the
hearings have gone TO a pOinC where
some estimate can be formed Of what
the Ways and Means Committee is go
ing TO do in framing tariff bill I'm
less appearances are deceitful, the com
mittee in question will bring out a bill
that will have teeth. and will not be a
mere perfunctory tariff measure which
fails 10 reach to the situations Of which
the country is complaining.
Can Stand Reduction.
1t has been conclusively demonstrated
before the Ways and Means COMMITTEES
that there are important lines Of indus
try that can stand reduction or wiping
out of duties without being injured
This is notably the case in respect TO
such raw materials as coal, iron. and
steel, hides, lumber, wool, and the like.
Members Of the committee have not
shown, as a rule. much sympathy with
the idea OF maintaining present rates OF
duty on these articles, and have listened
rather impatiently 10 the representa-
tons of witnesses who have appeared
before them in connection with these
schedules. and have pleaded that their
business would 20 70 pieces II there was
any lowering of the tariff
II Is expected In the best-informed
quarters that the tariff on each one OF
the articles named will either be wiped
out In the bill which the Ways and
Means Committee will report or Will be
largely reduced. Moreover, It is likely
that the House viii stand by the Ways
and Means Committee. Speaker Can
non will in all likelihood be in accord
with whatever the committee favors,
this body being dominated by his
friends
Fight in Senate.
All this simply means that the real
tariff fight is going to come in the Sen
ate and that if the House makes the
reductions in schedules that IT is eN-
pected to there will be a great tariff
contest in the upper house. The House
OF Representatives is apparently going
10 so handle the tariff measure that Il
there is any censure in the public mind
because no adequate reductions in duties
have been made that censure Will he
directed against the Senate and not
against the House. The House Re
publican leaders, In other words. are
looking toward a tarIn bill on which
they can 20 TO the country and he up
held
Unless the Senate sees Mt 10 pull the
House chestnuts out Of the FIRE and
keep the duties up to something like
their present high level, then the ses-
sion for tariff revision is likely to be
much briefer than has been generally
anticipated. But It is likely there viii
at least be such an effort made III the
Senate to get schedules that have been
lowered in the House raised in the
other branch or Congress that the ses-
sion viii last until midsummer.