The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1909-08-12
the PAYNE TARIFF BILL
History Of the Measure and a
Summary Of Its Principal
Provisions The New
Free List.

After one of the bitterest and one
Of the most momentOus legislative du-
els IN the history of the national cap
ital the new tariff measure, the Payne
bill, has been completed.
The progress Of the bill through the
legislative mill of both houses was
eventful enough to satisfy the most
pronounced cravers for parliamentary
warfare. The real battle opened when
the bill house report 143S) was re-
ceived in the senate and referred to
the committee on finance, April 10.
Aldrich of Rhode Island, the leader of
the senate as chairman of the finance
committee, subsequently became chair
man Of the conference committee,
which was appointed to adjust the diff
ferences arising between senate and
house and between both houses OF
congress and the president.
Taft For Free Hides.
The report Of the conference COM
mittee which determined what would
be the provisions Of the Payne bill In
its final form was victory for Pres
ident Taft. He Informed all Of the
conferees that hides must be placed
on the free list, together with petro-
leum, crude and refined. They there
upon decided to cut the Dingley tariff
on hides TO per cent. The president
heard the news and sent word that
he had meant what he had said about
free hides. The figures were then
lowered to per cent. Now Chairman
Serene E. Payne Of the ways and
means committee decided to demon
strate that his original bill, providing
for free hides should no longer be sub
jected to the emasculatory operations
of the majority Of the conferees. He
announced that not even per cent
duty on hides would be accepted by
either himself or the house. without
free hides this tariff bill win not pass
the house." he was quoted as saying.
The tariff came off hides instanter.
and as quickly was oil put on the un-
taxed schedule, together with gaso-
line, benzine and naphtha. The leather.
rough lumber, print paper, coal and
iron and glove schedules ranked next
In Importance during the closing days
OF the controversy.
II hides came In free, the important
New England boot and shoe manufac-
turing interests would consent to re-
duction Of the tariff on their products,
otherwise they would continue to fight.
The solving Of the hides problem left
1t simple matter to agree to lower
duties on boots and shoes-the Ding
ley rate being % per cent. Saddlery
and harness were cut to 40 per cent,
as against the Dingley rate Of 45 per
cent. The president resorted to the
unusual method of sending written
message to the conference committee
demanding lower rates on lumber and
gloves than the Payne bill provided.
and he secured them.
Wool and Cotton.
The wool schedule underwent no
change Of consequence, but the entire
cotton schedule was reconstructed and
the phraseology greatly changed in the
hope OF preventing reductions through
decisions by the courts such as have
characterized the administration OF the
Dingley law during recent years. In
many instances the rates intended te
be imposed by the Dmgley law were
cut by these decisions, the reductions
In some instances being from 60 pei
cent to 8 per cent nd valorem.
Probably the most marked reduc
tions are found In the metal schedule
Beginning with n decrease in the rat
OF iron ore from 40 to Is cents per ton
there is a general reduction throughou
that part Of the bill, pig iron goinI
down from 81 to $3.50 per ton ant
scrap iron from 81 to 81. The reduc
ton on many Of the items In thI
schedule amounts to about 30 per cent
Rough lumber goes down from $l.5
to SIPS per thousand feet, with a col
responding reduction In the differentia
on dressed lumber.
The president was subjected to sc
verest pressure from both the upwar'
and downward revisionists throughout
The upward revIsionlsts told him tina
reduction Of duty on hides an
leather manufactures would make tn
next congress Democratic, in whic
event they argued that Taft would nc
possibly be renominated for the pres
idency The "downwards" told hir
that Roosevelt would surely be th
next Republican candidate for pres
dent II the campaign promises for
downward revision were not fulfilled.
The Corporation Tax.
The president had a highly Difficult
task also In preserving his scheme 70
a corporation tax intact In the Payn
bill. This feature Is clearly the mos
unpopular one In the entire measure
so far as members Of the senate an
house were concerned. Many Of th
members argued to the president thi
the tax as provided for was uncoI
stltutlonal. Resolutions will be intrt
duced In the various state legislature
condemning the act and recomment
ing its repeal, according to statement
made by various congressman
Washington.
The corporation tax of per cent o
the entire net income over and aboy
$1,000 received by corporations fro
all sources, exclusive of certain item
must be paid on or before June
each year. Persons authorized
make returns or statements to Il
government and who make returns {
IVorJ "a tha Wfun 81 Gufylofant