Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1909-08-13
THE PAYNE
History Of the Measure and a
Summary Of Its PrInclpa
Provisions THE New
Free List.

els In the history or the national cap
ital the new tariff measure. the Payne
bill, has been completed.
The progress Of the bin through the
legislative mill OF both houses was
eventful enough TO satisfy the most
pronounced cravers for parliamentary
warfare. The real battle opened when
the bill (house report l43Sl was re-
the committee on finance, April 10
Aldrich of Rhode Island, the leader Of
the 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.
mittee which determined what would
be the provisions of the Payne bill In
its final form was victory for Pres
ident Taft. He Informed all Of the
conferees 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
he had meant what he had said about
free hides. The figures were then
lowered TO Z per cent. Now Chairman
Serene L. Payne Of the ways and
means committee decided TO demon
strate that his original bill, providing
for free hides should no longer be sub
jected 10 the emasculatory operations
of the ma ajurity Of the conferees. He
announced that not even per cent
duty ON hides would be accepted by
either himself or the house. without
free hides this tariff bill will not pass
the house" he was quoted as saying
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
rough lumber. print paper. coal and
iron and glove schedules ranked next
in Importance during the closing days
of the controversy.
Ii hides came In free, the important
New England boot and shoe manufac.
turing interests would consent to q re
duction of the tariff on their products
otherwise they would continue to fight
The solving Of the hides problem left
II simple matter TO agree to lower
duties on boots and shoes-the Ding.
ley rate being 25 per cent. Saddlery
and harness were cut to 40 per cent
as against the Dingley rate Of As pei
cent. The president resorted to the
unusual method of sending written
message to the conference committee
demanding 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
hope of preventing reductions through
decisions by the courts such as have
characterized the administration Of the
Dingley law during recent years. lr
many instances the rates intended tC
be imposed by the Dingley law were
cut by these decisions, the reductions
in some instances being from 90 pei
cent to s per cent ad valorem.
Probably the most marked reduc
tions are found In the metal schedule
Beginning with decrease in the rat'
of iron ore from 40 to Is cents per ton
there Is a general reduction Throughout
that part Of the bill, pig iron goinl
down from 81 to $3.50 per ton ant
scrap iron from 81 to ST. The reduc
ton on many Of the items In thi
schedule amounts to about 50 per cent
Rough lumber goes down from $1.5i
to SIPS per thousand feet, with cor
responding reduction In the differentia
on dressed lumber.
The president was subjected to sc
verest pressure from both the upward
and downward revisionlsts throughout
The upward revisionists told him tina
reduction of duty on hides ant
leather manufactures would make th
next congress Democratic, In whicl
event they argued that Taft would no
possibly be renominated for the pres
idency. The "downwards" told hin
that Roosevelt would surely be tn
next Republican candidate for presi
dent If the campaign promises for
downward revision were not fulfilled.
Tho Corporation Tax.
The president had a highly Difficult
task also in preserving his scheme 70
a corporation tax intact In the Payn
bill. This feature is clearly the mos
unpopular one in the entire measure
so far as members Of the senate ant
house were concerned. Many of tn
members argued to the president tina
the tax as provided for was uncon
stitutional Resolutions will be intro
duced in the various state legislature
condemning the act and recommend
ing its repeal, according to statement
made by various congressman Il
Washington.
The corporation tax Of per cent o.
the entire net income over and abov
$1,000 received by corporations fror
all sources. exclusive Of certain item
must be paid on or before June 8
each year. Persons authorized