The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-08-07

Washington, Aug. 6.-That the tar
III bill as reported by the house and
senate conferees and passed by con-
gress is not to the liking OF Senator
McCumber was clearly demonstrated
the other day when the senior senator
from North Dakota took q fall out of
the conferees In a speech replete with
severe criticism of their action as re-
CARDS the conference report. Indeed
he made 1t plain that only his party
fidelity prevented him from withhold
ing his vote from that measure. He
recognized the seriousness of the sit
uation. To reject the conference re-
port would mean no tariff legislation
this year and an admission to the
country that the republican party was
not able TO perform the task under
taken by 1t.
But for a time McCumber was as
near an insurgent as man ever got.
He was off the reservation as insurg
ency Is popularity termed in the senate,
for only ten minutes just long enough
to tell the country what he thought
Of the work OF the tariff conferees, but
when he announced his intention of
voting for the bill the senate insurg-
ents who alone had nodded approx
ingly, fell back much disappointed.
The millers and manufacturing inter-
ests generally came in for a severe
lashing at the hands OF Senator Nc
Cumber, who insisted that the COM
pIexion of the conference committee
was such as to preclude any other
decision than was really handed down
by that committee.
Senator McCumber said:
There has been a change from ad
valorem to specific duties. Most sena-
tors agree that this should be done
wherever possible. So many frauds
are prepetrated under the ad valorem
system that all countries are changing
to the imposition of specific duties
wherever possible. The weakness Of
the specific duty is that it does not
bear equally on every grade of the
article taxed. In changing from the
ad valorem to the specific duty, while
the average may be the same it will
result in increasing the duty on one
grade and lowering it on the other.
If, for instance, the present duty on
cloth ranging in value from 10 to 20
cents per yard, is 40 per cent ad val
y
cloth worth 10 cents a yard would be
4 cents. The duty on yard of cloth
worth 20 cents would be cents. But,
If by this bill we change from an ad-
valorem to a specific duty of Ia
cents a yard, irrespective of value
the duty on a yard worth 10 cents
would be 1-2 cents, an increase of
1-2 cents a yard, and the duty on the
grade worth 20 cents yard would be
5 1-2 cents also, or a reduction of
2 1-2 cents yard. The average on the
class of goods imported in the greatest
quantity might be the same as the 40
per cent ad valorem, or even lower.
If, therefore, we select just the low
est valued products all through the
list, we might be able TO show that
there has been an increase over the
Dingley rates, but If we will take the
average quality or grade purchased,
we may find that there has been a
reduction over one class which will
more than offset the raise on the other
class. When we change from an ad
valorem to a specific duty we must
deal not in the extremes but in the
averages.
The cotton and wooIen schedules
show less reduction than others, but
even in these there has been a reduc-
ton on some of the lower priced goods,
those which are brought by the people
generally. The average duty, as the
bill passed the senate, is perhaps the
same. BY the adoption of the report
of the committee on conference, which
| compromised upon some of the higher
! duties In the house bill, it is estimat-
ed that there will be about three per
| cent average raise upon the cotton
schedules.
Every tariff bill is the result of a
compromise between those who are in
sistent upon very high and those who
are equally persistent in their demands
for a low duty. IT, therefore, tariff
bill has to meet the exact demands Of
every senator and representative, no
bill could ever be passed. During this
session have labored persistently and
to the best Of my ability for free lum-
ber, free coal. free oil and free iron
ore and for a substantial reduction on
other articles OF consumption. have
not been able to secure free coal or free