The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-02-19
TARIFF CUT
TO HIT TRUSTS
Reductions Of 0ne-half in
Steel, Iron Glass
AND COAL SCHEDULES
This Is the Plan Of the House, But
Aldrich Is in the Senate and
He Holds the Whip
Hand.
AND COAL SCHEDULES

Washington, Feb. 1o.--That the
tariff rates on lumber, glass, and iron
and steel ara TO be cut in half is the
prediction made here yesterday con-
corning the bill that is to be introduced
at the special session of Congress.
Feeling is strong among certain Re.
publicans that Havemeyer's famous
saying "rhe tariff is the mother of the
trusts" sums up the situation, and the
big corporations now known as trusts,
and Of whose rapidly increasing pros
perity there seems to be no doubt, will
be made 10 stand the brunt of the re-
vision.
With the date for the meeting of the
extra session fixed as March rs it is
declared the Republicans of the ways
and means committee will hasten the
new bill TO a conclusion. About four
weeks remain in which they can perfect
the measure, and il is the expectation
the measure will be ready to lay before
the House on the first day of the spec
ial session
Great secrecy surrounds the bill that
the Republican members Of the com
mittee are framing. Several reasons
are given for this. One is that the
committee wants TO be pestered as lit
tie as possible with the agents Of in.
tcrests who may find their pet SEIZED.
ules lowered Another reason is that
the committe wants business agitated
as little as possible A third reason is
that 1t il not the purpose TO make the
bin public for the study and scrutiny
Of the Democrats any sooner than 10
absolutely needful
Nevertheless, echoes Of what is 90.
ing on within the recesses OF the inner
sanetum of the ways and means com
mittee are audible. They indicate that
the Republicans on the committee have
gone over the. proposed schedules once.
1t is pretty well settled how various
schedules will stand, but there are 9th
ers which are not yet settled.
The Democrats on the committee are
going over the proposed schedules They
are determining what rate of duty the
practically framing a bill, though they
are not actually drawing one up. They
intend TO wait until the Republican bill
comes out and then make such altera-
tions in rates in the Republican bill
as they consider warranted, Only to |
this extent will they draw new bill. |
They intend to have everything In
readiness SO that when the Repubi
can bill is forthcoming all that will be |
necessary, If the Republican measure
does not suit them, viii be the clerical |
work of changing schedules.
The Republicans on the committee
are having considerable trouble agree
ing on the various schedules. In the |
first place, this IL the first time the Re. |
publicans have been called on to make |
reductions in duties. Gen
orally speaking, revision Of the tariff !
upward has beein the Republican task.
This year, the sentiment OF the coun-
try Is interpreted as favoring revision
downward, and the Republican mem
bers Of the ways and means committee,
rather part Of them, are acting acs
'ordingly. Then there is general
sleavage Of opinion between the east
srn and western members Of the com.
nittee. The eastern Republicans in.
line TO fred raw materials and the
western members incline the other way
This general difference makes agree.
nent difficult.
But that important reductions in
luties are to bel looked for when the
ariff bill comes out Of committee IL
AIKEN for granted. This will be the
ase despite the opposition Of some of |
he committee to any considerable low
ring of duties 1t Is reported from
Ugh quarter, for instance, that the Re
publican caucus has voted 8 to 10 to j
educe the lumber duty from SO to ST.
his would be cutting the tariff in half |
ii lumber not manufactured z
Nobody doubts that there win be inn /
ortant reductions in the iron and steel
Half the steel and iron du- g
les in some cases are likely to be lop. /
ed Off. II
On coal there is much difference Of
pinion, for the reason that some coal I
len want reciprocal arrangement b
18th Canada and others do not. Coal c
ZEN about the Great Lakes will be sat t
fled with free exchange Of coal with j
anada. Others in the interior are not i
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