Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1909-08-13
History Of the Measure and a
Summary Of Its PrinCi pal
Provisions THE New
Free List.

C.'i' mas pNNh NVhiPACtVd.
The progress Of the bill through the
legislative mill OF both houses was
eventful enough to satisfy the most
pronounced cravcrs for parliamentary
warfare The real battle opened when
the bill house report 1I3Sy was re-
celved In the senate and referred to
the committee on finance. April 10
Aldrich Of Rhode Island, the leader Of
the senate rs 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 Ere. Hides.
The report Of the conference COM
mittee which determined what would
be the provisions Of the Payne bill in
Its final form was a victory for Pres
ident Taft He informed all Of the
cOnfcre,G that hides must be placed
on the free list. together with petrO-
lCuLhp ~ u0C anu tCuuSo. thCiC
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 I 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 to the emasculatory operations
Of the majority Of the confereeS. He
| announced that not even a 5 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 of 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 mapufac'
turing interests would consent to q 70.
duction Of the tariff on their products
otherwise they would continue to fight
The solving Of the hides problem left
1t a 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 per
cent The president resorted to the
unusual method Of sending a 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. In
many instances the rates intended tC
be imposed by the DInsley law were
cut by these decisions, the reductions
in some Instances being from GO pei
| cent to 8 per cent ad valOrem.
| Probably the most marked reduc
tions are found In the metal schedule
Beginning with decrease In the rate
Of iron ore from 10 to Is cents por ton
there Is general reduction Throughout
that part Of the bill. pig iron going
down from 81 to $3.50 per ton and
scrap iron from 81 to 81. The reduc
ton on many Of the items In this
schedule amounts to about so per cent
Rough lumber goes down from $1.5(
to SID per thousand feet. with a cor
responding reduction In the differentia
on dressed lumber.
The president was subjected to Sc
verest pressure from both the upward
and downward revisionists throughout
The upward revisionists told him that
reduction Of duty on hides and
leather manufactures would make the
next congress Democratic. In which
event they argued that Taft would moi
possibly be renominated for the pres
ideucy. The "downwards' told hin
that Roosevelt would surely be the
next Republican candidate for presi
dent II the campaign promises for 6
downward revision were not fulfilled.
The Corporation Tax.
The president had highly difficult
task also in preserving his scheme fol
a corporation tax intact In the Payne
bill. This feature Is clearly the most
unpopular one In the entire measure
so far as members Of the senate and
house were concerned. Many Of the
members argued to the president thai
the tax as provided for was uncon
stitutional. Resolutions will be intro
duced In the various state legislatures
condemning the act and recommend
ing Its repeal. according to statements
made by various congressman ir
Washington.
The corporation tax Of per cent or
the entire net income over and above
5000 received by corporations from
all sources. exclusive Of certain items
must he paid on or before June 81
each year. Persons authorized t
A. L.