The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-04-11
THE SENATE TARIFF BILL is AL
MOST READY TO BE REPORT
ED TO UPPER HOUSE.
REVISION IS DOWNWARD
Chairman Aldrich Announces That FL
nance Committee Has Made More
General Cut in Duties Than the
House, Though This Does Not Mean
Reduction of the Revenues.

Washington, April 10.-The senate
tariff bill, so far as rates are con-
cerned, was completed tonight, but it
was decided that in making report
Chairman Aldrich will announce
reservation on certain important
schedules for future action. These
reservations will include hides, steel
rails, wood pulp and crude petroleum.
Chairman Aldrich asserted tonight
that the senate committee had made
a more general revision of rates than
was done by the house committee on
ways and means and that reductions
had been made on a far greater num-
Der of articles. This did not mean
that there would be reduction in
revenues, but there would be recon-
mended a bona fide revision downward
of the tariff.
The great number of changes which
will be recommended are due largely
to the fact that while the Payne bill
revised rates on certain basic articles,
the revision did not extend to related
articles. For instance, lead ore was
eral manufactures of lead ore remain
reduced in the Payne bill and the sew
unchanged The senate committee
made general reductions on these man.
ufactures in harmony with the reduc-
tion on the unworked material.
Similar changes We're made in many
other schedules which will account for
the many amendments that will be
presented in the senate.
Hides Free.
In the report that will be made to
the senate hides will go on the free
list as provided by the Payne bill,
but the question of fixing a rate in
accordance with the sentiment of the
senate as expressed through a canvass
taken by western senators will be
taken up in the near future.
A similar condition will be reported
on steel rails. The Payne rates are
1892 per ton, which is one-half the ex-
listing rate. The committee was i'm
pressed with the arguments made by
the steel manufacturers that this rate
should be increased, but it is known
that considerable opposition to such
action will be manifested in the sem
ate This item will be discussed later
by the committee and the indications
are an increase to about $425 per ton
will be recommended. No decision has
been reached on the subject of wood
pulp and this fact will be announced
by Senator Aldrich when he reports
the bill The same is true of crude pc
troleum. The duties on lumber also
promise to occasion debate in the SEN
ate and while no change from the
Payne bill will be recommended, it is
predicted that a number of amend
ments will be offered on the floor of
the senate.
To Reduce Coal.
The senate committee today decided
to recommend a reduction from IS
to as cents per ton on bituminous coal.
The Payne bill includes slack at the
same rates as fixed for bituminous
coal, increasing the duty on this prod
uct from Is cents to 81 cents. The
senate committee has decided to re-
store the Dingley rate of Is cents per
ton.
Protests made by heavy importers Of
gloves and hosiery against the increase
made by the Payne bill over the exist
ing Dingley rates as well as protests
from hundreds of women throughout
the country, induced the senate COM
mttee to agree to recommend the con-
tinuance of the Dingley rates.
The existing rates on woolens, which
were mdteTldlly ueCISdSeu ny lHe
Payne BILL will be recommended by
the senate committee. Specific duties
will be recommended throughout on
silks of all kinds, the specific duty be-
ing a trifle above the combined ad
valorem and specific duties now COL
lected under the Dingley act.
This action is taken in order to meet
probable severe competition with Jap
I'LL hi o1, a ~ l.
ing in in larger quantities at con
stantly decreasing cost of manufac-
ture.
The demand for protection for long
staple cotton, which comes into COM
petition with Egyptian cotton used ir
the manufactured mercerized silk
goods, has been denied by the senate
committee. This action was taken or
the ground that the long staple cot
ton raised on the sea islands Of South
Carolina and Florida now brings g
higher price in the American market
and for the further reason that II
would be difficult not to give like pro
lection to cotton raised in certain parts
of Texas and Mississippi, which is o.
comparatively long staple
Present indications are that the com
mittee will report the bill to the SEN
ate on Tuesday next.
The administrative feature of thu
bill in all probability will not be re
ported for another week or more
Something of the proposed tariff bu
reau, which has long been the subjec
of a great deal of study, was learned
tonight, although plans for the estab
lishment of such a bureau will not b.
completed until other administrativ
features of the bill are reported. Ac
cording to present plans the burea,
will consist Of a consolidation of tn
bureau of manufactures and the bu
reau of statistics, which are under tn
department of commerce and labor. tn
bureau of trade relations.