Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1909-08-07
History Of the Measure and a
Summary Of Its Principal
Provisions New
Free List.

els in the history of the national cap
ital 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
pronounced cravers for parliamentary
warfare. The real battle opened when
the bill house report 143s) was re-
celved In the senate and referred to
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
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 a 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 tarlff
on hides 10 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 per cent. Now Chairman
Serene b. Payne OF the ways and
means committee decided 70 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 per cent
duty on hides would be accepted by
either himself or tho house. without
free hides this tariff bin will not pass
the house" he was quoted as saying
The tariff came of hides lnstanter,
and as quickly was oil put on the un-
taxed schedule. together with gaso-
line. benzlne 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 a re-
duction OF. the tariff on their products.
otherwise they would continue 10 fight.
The solving of the hides problem left
a simple matter 10 agree Co lower
duties on boots aud shoes-thc Ding.
lev rate being - per cent. Snddlery
gHd hnrueSs were cut TO 40 per cent,
us against tho Dingley rate Of - per
cent The president resnrted 70 the
Unusual method Of sending written
mpssugr tp 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 no
change OF consequence, but the entire
cotton schedule was reconstructed and
the phmseology 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 10
be imposed by the DIngley law were
cut by these decisions, the reductions
in some instances being from 60 per
cent 10 per cent ad valOrem.
Probably the most marked reduc-
tions are found In the metal schedule.
Beginnlng with a decrease in the rate
of iron ore from 40 to IS cents per ton,
there is a general reduction throughout
that part Of the bill, pig iron going
down from 81 10 $3.50 per ton and
scrap iron from "a 10 81. The reduc-
ton on many OF the items In this
schedule amounts 10 about 80 per cent,
Rough lumber goes down from $l.5O
TO Sl25 per thousand feet. with n cor
responding reduction In the differential
on dressed lumber,
The president was subjected TO Sc
verest pressure from both the upward
aud downward reyisionists throughout.
The upward revisionists told him that
a reduction of duty on hides and
leather manufactures would make the
next congress Democratic. in which
event they argued that Taft would not
possibly be renominated for the pres
idency. The 'downwards" told him
that Roosevelt would surely be the
next Republican candidate for presi-
dent II the campaign promises for a
downward revision were not fulfilled.
The Corporation Tax.
The president had a highly difficult
task also In preserving his scheme for
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 that
the tax as provided for was uncon-
stitutiOnal, Resolutions will be intro
duced 10 the various state legislatures