Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-08-07

els In the history OF the national cap
StaI 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
Z 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
Aidrich Of Rhode Island. the leader OF
tine 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
tnittee which determined what would
sse the provisions of the Payne bill In
ifs dnal form was victory for Pres.
dent Taft He informed all of the
c0nferees 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
The had meant what he had said about
free hides. The figures were then
lowered to 7 per cent. Now Chairman
Serene Il. Payne of the ways and
oceans committee decided to demon
strHte that his original bill, providing
for free hides should no longer be sub
3ected to the emasculatory operations
of the ma jority of the conferees. He
announced that not even 5 per cent
duty on hides would be accepted by
either himself or the house. without
Tree hides this tariff bill will not pass
the house" he was quoted as saying.
q 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,
rr1aEb lumber, print paper, coal and
iron and glove schedules ranked next
On importance during the closing days
of the controversy
IL hides came in free, the important
New England boot and shoe manufac-
suriug interests would consent to a re
auction 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
aressage to the conference committee
lower rates on lumber and
gloves than the Payne bill provided
and he secured them.
Wool and Cotton.
The wool schedule underwent nc
change of consequence, but the entire
cotton schedule was reconstructed and
the phraseology greatly changed in the
taape of preventing reductions through
decisions by the courts such as have
characterized the administration OF the
/ Dingiey law during recent years. IN
r many instances the rates intended tC
be imposed by the Dingley law were
cut by these decisions, the reductions
IN some instances being from go pei
Gsent TO s per cent ad valorem.
Probably the most marked reduc
8Kons are found in the metal schedule
s9<sginning with a decrease In the rat
aG iron ore from 40 to 10 cents per ton
&here is a general reduction throughou
that part Of the bill, pig iron goin!
down from $4 to $3.50 per ton ant
scrap iron from 81 TO 81. The reduC
zion on many of the items in thi
schedule amounts TO about 80 per cent
Rough lumber goes down from SO
fs1 $125 per thousand feet, with cor
responding reduction in the diferentia
1sO dressed lumber.
THE president was subjected to Sc
wsrest pressure from both the upwar
and downward revisionists Throughout
RNhe upward reviSionists told him tina
a reduction of duty on hides an
heather manufactures would make tn
r@nxt congress Democratic. in whic
event they argued that Taft would nc
possibly be renominated for the pres
asfency. The "downwards" told hir
that Roosevelt would surely be th
next Republican candidate for pres
dent if the campaign promises for
downward revision were not fulfilled
The Corporation Tax.
The president had a highly Difficult
Il yak also in preserving his scheme 70
"A corporation tax intact in the Payn
carU This feature is clearly the mos
ZHggoDular one in the entire measure
SO fts- as members Of the senate an
5 lReuse were concerned. Many Of tn
members argued to the president thu
the tax as provided for was uncol
sft6ttlOnal. Resolutions will be intr'
dasced In the various state Legislature
CONCERNING the act and recommen,
ing its repaai according to statement
made by various congressman
Washington
1shp cOT-aOraYiOn tax Of / per cent O