The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1909-07-30
AN AGREEMENT
ON AMENDMENT
Taking the Six Cent Tax
Off Leaf Tobacco.
Farmers Will Not Be Required
.
to Keep Record Of
the Sales.

Washington July 27.-The con-
ference committee has agreed to
the amendment offered by Senator
bradley with the proviso that the
leaf dealer shall keep an account of
all sales under two pounds instead
of ten as originally provided. All
restrictions upon the farmer are re-
moved.
! Since the middleman is in almost
chant, this proviso stubbornly con-
tended for by Senator Aldrich will
not prevent the sale of leaf tobacco,
but the conditions will put the
dealer to considerable Unnecessary
! trouble. The Stanley amendment
gave the farmer and the middle
man absolute and unrestricted lib
erty TO sell leaf tobacco to consum-
ers in any quantity so long as they
did not sell to manufacturers in
quantities less than a hogshead
case or bale. AS all manufacturers
purchase by the hogshead in any
event, the house amendment gave
the farmer practical free trade in
leaf tobacco.
When this bill came to the senate
Senator Bradley Immediately at
tempted to have it restored and the
senator from Kentucky Immediately
introduced an amendment which
was in every essential similar to the
original amendment 10 the Payne
bill.
Senator Paynter secured the in
dorsement of the house amendment
by his Democratic colleagues with
out the loss of vote and Senator
Bradley went to work on his Re-
publican colleagues. The so-called
insurgents in the senate were to a
man for the repeal of the tax and
he secured sufficient Republicans TO
insure the passage of his amendment
notwithstanding the opposition Of
Senator Aldrich.
When the opponents of the bill
found they could not defeat it by
open opposition they attempted 10
emasculate it by cunnipgly devised
provisos. For weeks propositions haNe
been made to Senator Bradley by
which the bill was to be restricted
and modified by certain amendments
and provisos. Some of the adroit-
ly framed restrictions, -nominally to
protect the internal revenue depart
ment from possible fraud, would have
precluded the farmer from any benefit
whatever.
Senator Bradley and Mr.. Stanley,
with whom he has been In con-
slant consultation, have instantly de-
tected the schemes and the Kentucky
senator has stood out stoutly for no
further restriction upon the farmer
than was contained in the Stanley
amendment.
While there are enough voters In
the senate and house to put the
bill through as originally demand
ed by Messrs. Stanley James and
others and in the senate by Mr..
Bradley, there is and has been great
danger of the defeat in conference,
where the Rhode Island sneator is ALL
powerful
In addition to this Chairman Payne
never has favored the amendment and
but for the desperate fight put up
In the house during the closing hours
of the session 1t never could have
been reached before the hour fixed for
vote on the bill.
Senator Bradley is contesting every
inch of the ground and is determ-
ined to get all he can. The amend
ment as agreed on in. conference while
not granting all that the Kentucky
senator wants nor all the Stanley
amendment secured will be a great
boon to the famers as the leaf deal
ers who will sell the bulk of this
tobacco for the, farmer. especially in
! the South and Southwest. are in
the habit OF dealing with the inter-
nal revenue department and keeping
books and will have no great trou-
BILE in putting the natural leaf on the
market after the trade is once es-