Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-03-27
FULL Of JoKERs
Payne Tariff Bill Found to Be a
Mass of Favoritisms and
Freaks.
DUTY $50 ON A TOY HORSE
Ways and Means Committee Dis
claims Responsibility for Many q
of Its Schedules.


failing at present for a few cents, are
| 10 become as expensive to import into
| this country as the living animals
which they represent in miniature, if
the Payne bill becomes law. A toy
horse, for instance. worth 81, will, I'M
der the eccentricities of the proposed
measure, be taxed $50, just the same
rate as will be collected for thor
oughbred racer or a costly horse show
hackney.
The discovery of this unique Joker
in the Payne bill was made yester7
day by experts in the foreign buying
department of Marshall Field & Co.
AS a consequence they declare that
certain kinds of imported toys will be-
come prohibitive in price. if the meas
ure is enacted by congress.
Clothes aud Ornaments, Too.
The Field company experts also
found that many kinds of clothes and
ornaments for dolls will be taxed at
the same rate as clothes and orna-
ments for the American woman. Ho-
siery and gloves, for example, made
for dolls will have to pay the same
proportionate duty as will be collect
ed on hosiery and gloves for women.
The toy paragraph of the bill" said
one of the Field experts, lis the most
extraordinary bit of tariff legislation
which was perhaps ever drafted"
,, Supporters Are Alarmed.
Washington, March 27.-Jokers in
the tariff bill are being discovered in
such large numbers and favoritism is
being disclosed to such an alarming eX-
tent that the most ardent supporters
of the measure are becoming appre-
hensive. Representative Fordney of
Michigan with some show of satisfac-
ton, told the house yesterday how he
had three words inserted in the lum-
Der schedule that will prevent the i'm
|portation of lumber from Canada.
This lumber joker must rank with the
oil joker of Representative Vreeland
of New York, under which the Stand
ard Oil company will enjoy great adj
vantages; the flour joker of Repre-
sentative Chapman of Illinois, and the
other jokers which have been brought
to light in the few days of debate upon
the tariff bill.
CannOn's Power Felt.
Not only does the Payne bill bristle
with jokers which are drawn to d.
stroy the effect of many of it's Sec
tons, but it is openly charged that
Speaker Cannon, in the exercise of his
| czar-like powers, superseded the COM
mittee, taking it's work out of its
hands and debating the rates of duty
that appear in several of the items.
1t is asserted that Representative Nor
gan of the Joplin, Mo-. district, work
| ing through the speaker, had the duty
on zinc increased. and that the Kan
sas members used Mr. Cannon to have
the lead paragraph drawn to their Tx
| ing. Mr.. Pou of North Carolina, a
| democratic member of the ways and
means committee, in a speech upon the
floor yesterday charged that Mr.. Lie
tauer of New York, who rendered her
culean service in behalf of Mr.. Can
non to secure his reelection as speak
er, was responsible for the increase of
the duty on womens gloves.
| Not Taken Seriously.
| 1t is not unusual to hear it charged
that special interests are favored in
the drafting of a tariff bill, but the
pending measure is being subjected
on that ground, to more than ordinary
condemnation, and the jokers are sc
numerous that many members refuse
to take the measure seriously.
i Perhaps the wool schedule is caus
ing more inside discussion than any
other. Remarkable as it may seem, il
is nevertheless a fact that a majority
and means committee disavow respon
lsibility for the wool schedule. 1t is in
the bill by their votes, but they dis
own it.. Mr. Cannon, according t.
common rumor, is personally RESPONSE
bic for it. and by rumors is credited
with having forced the republican
members of the committee to swallow
a morsel distasteful to them. Will,
The bill was in the hands of the print
er, and after Chairman Payne's re
port had been printed. the speaker Sc
cured an increase of the duty on zinc
Taking Poll of Republicans.
4 Complaints against the bill are pour
ing in upon the members SO rapid.
that the republican leaders now fea
that the bill must be materially amend
ed before they can control enough
votes to pass it. So serious has grow
the situation that a careful poll of tn
republican members is being made TO
the purpose of ascertaining how man.
votes can be obtained for the bill il
its present form and how many cor
cessions must be made to pass it. RI