Evening star., 1909-05-01
LOOK|NGFOR" "JOKERS"
Chief Worry Over the Senate
Tariff Bill.
"BIG STICK" MADE LARGER
House Maximum Rates Advanced
From 20 to Is Per Cent.
WAY OPENED FOR COMPROMISE
Bill Expected to Look Different
When It Finally Comes From
the Conferees.
"BIG sTIGK' MADE LARGER
WAY OPENED FOR COMPROMISE

As realization of the full import of the
Senate finance committees maximum and
minimum provision begins to soak in
senators view with mingled feelings Of ad
miration and astonishment that action
gasp-the audacity of the tariff builders
Of the Senate In out-Heroding Herod in
this feature of protection. The high tarif
men are delighted
The House proposed a maximum tarif
as big stick to be used against for
eign nations in compelling favorable trade
terms with the United States. The Sen
ate committee increases the size of the
stick and provides a little firmer hold foI
its welding. The Houses maximum was
an advance Of 20 per cent on the rates
named in the bill. The enate requires
an advance of Is per cent ad valorem.
The trainers OF the Senate provision dc
not expect. of course. that the maximum
rates will apply, since all countries will
be supposed to hasten to ameliorate any
harsh conditions imposed against the
United States, and this proposition fol
the increased duty is more sentimental
than impending. But in case a foreign
country can not fearranee its economic
affairs to suit the American tariff the
increase will take place, and the down.
ward revis1onists are considering thed
proposition in Its possible last analysis.
Where the Difference L..
1t is pointed out, however, that in one
respect the Senate maximum and mini
mum provision Is great deal more con-
servative than is proposed by the House.
Under the House plan the maximum
tariff would operate automatically in case
any other country made restrictions on
our trade. II the government Of the
netherlands, Tor example, should change
the rate OH some American import, the
duty on leaf tobacco. already very high.
would be raised 20 per cent automatically
and the cigar-making trade demoralized.
Under the Senate plan the change would
not be automatically, but in the discre-
ton Of the President, and time would
be afforded for negotiations.
But It is net advisable TO lose sight Of
the fact that q great deal of ''compro-
missing" is yet to be done, and that the
disagreement between the House and
Senate over the maximum and minimum
feature ID q mighty handy asset Of trad
ing The final aspect OF the bin. as 1t
agreement, WIN be very different from Its
present coHapIexion and from the bill as
1t came from the House.
The critics Of the maximum and mimi
mum provision OF the Senate scumIuiftee
find the ground cut beneath chem 10 !
great extent by the fact that President
Taft and his cabinet are agreeable to the
Aldrich plan. It was sdbmltted to the
President and his Attorney General all.4
came back with their 20. K.' It Is to
be assumed that II 1t was good enough
Morxan" for the administration 1t should
be satisfactory to the progressive fac
ton Of republicans.
Looking Out for "Jokers."
All the statesmen interested In the
tariff were busy today worrying with
the administrative sections OF the bill as
amended by the Senate committee
where are the -jokersr" IL the ques-
tion every man ha1 In thA front Of his