The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-06-16
TARIFF BILL IS
FARCE He SAYS
Senator La Toilette, Of Wisconsin,
Declares Revision Offered People
Is an Increase Over Present Rate.

WASHINGTON, June l6-Wtth th9
end OF the work on the tariff bill al
most In sight, Senator La Toilette, OF
Wisconsin. declared today In an In.
tervieW with the United Press that
the revision offered the people viii
be an increase over the Diagley rates.
When the protests throughout the
country that forced a platform promise
OF revision are considered. he said.
The outcome hardly rises above the
dignity OF farce:
1t is doubtful whether many peo-
pie, aside from those directly inter
ested, have a clear realization OF ex'
actly the sort OF Law they will BE-
asked 10 approve. To keep in touch
with all phases of the bill is difficult.
even 10 those who devote all their
time 70 the task, and TO attempt IL
from the newspapers, which neces'
sarily cannot cover the whole field IL
practically impossible.
"A feature Of the proceedings II
the senate tending TO add 10 wrone
impression OF the work being done
has been a number OF committee
amendments making reductions II
certain duties. IL they were reduc
lions below the Dingley rates, they
would be in line with popular desire
but In many cases they have merely
reduced rates in the senate bill as
Originally reported, and even with the
! amendments adopted the duties arc
left higher than In the existing law
Another misleading feature or TN
proceedings has been decreases, tha'
were widely heratded- articles %
which the importations were or small
value, and increases that applied TO
great volume of importations.
"In the chemicals schedule. for IL
stance. there was an increase OF 81
per cent on articles of which $4.90O.O0f
were imported in 1907, and decreaS
OF Al per cent on articles OF which tn
importations we're S2,SOO,OOO'
Increase in Cotton Rates.
The cotton schedule shows an In
crease OF 10 per cent on SlO,OOO,OOV
worth OF importations. and a decrease
OF IS per cent on $4,000 worth OF i'm
portations.
lon fax and jmte the increase was
81 per cent on $4,000 and the de
crease 16 per cent on 100000. Their,
are exceptions, but the grand tota
shows an increase OF 1913 per cent OF
sIO1 700 900 OF importations and de
crease OF 81 .16 per cent on $66,lOO,O0'
"A comparison OF percentages show.
a difference OF over per cent, bu'
the total OF importations involve
shows the increases exceed the dc
eFeases nearly so per cent
~ -
mittee report was likely 20 show a.
improvement in the bill in It's com
pleted form, Senator La Toilette SAID
"Seventy-five per cent OF the DingleH
rates are unchanged in both the nous
and senate bills. These rates cannci
now be changed by the conference
committee. There has been no Invest
cation concerning these items TO deter
mine the difference in cost OF produc
ton in this country and abroad They
have not been the subject OF discus
sion or action in either the senate and
house. and, so, 20 this extent, there hat
Aeea-f.e- revision uf-the -Dingley law
according 10 the national Republican
platform any-other- plan--
Increases and Decreases.
Inc increases III the SrhoNS tot -
bin affect importations 10 the value
Of nearly $l02.000.000 and the de
creases apply to a little over $4,000.
900 worth OF imports That is as far
as these increases and decreases can
be demonstrated by plain reading OF
the bill. They do show many In
creases OF Importance which cover I'M
portations OF great value, and result
from changes in classiflcations. These
will have TO be worked out In the ad-
ministration OF the law.
All that the conference committee
can do. without special authority from
both branches Of congress by joint res
olution, is 10 consider points IN which
the house and senate bills differ As
the house bill was on the whole An In
crease over the Dingley law, according
to the estimates furnished by the ways
and means committee, and the senate
bill Is an Increase over the house bill,
there seems TO be no PROBABILITY THAI
the tariff bill when finally enacted.
will be either in accord with the In
structions OF the national Republican
convention or satisfactory 20 the great
body OF people"