Mexico Missouri message., 1909-02-18
TARIFF WRAN6LE
IS NOT ALARMING
REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS CON.
FlDENT MAJORITY MEMBERS
WILL AGREE.
FIVE Weeks LEFT TO WORK
Believed Revision Gill VIII Be Ready
20 Submit March t5-Tax
May BE Proposed on
Tea and Coffee,

Washington. ID. C.-Republicans
Of prominence In congress refuse TO ne
disturbed In the least over the reports
current that there IL trouble among
the majority members OF the ways and
means committee, and that Payne and
his set OF followers who have seen
the revision light are Rrrayed in battle
against Dalzell and his followers, who
have not seen Il.
There is one difficulty that all the
Republican members Of congress real.
ize must be overcome. The revenues
cient for it's support-not sufficient.
In fact. II is felt that II the schedules
are cut close to the roots the coun-
try's income will be cut with them.
II does not always necessarily follow
that lower duties bring lower govern.
mental returns. for increased importa-
ton must be taken into consideration.
The belief seemingly Is. however, that
even though the foreigners send more
goods TO us under a lower tariff. that
the money returns will not be as great
as they are at present upon many Of
the imported articles.
Tax on Tea and Coffee.
The ways and means committee.
therefore. may decide 10 propose q
tax on coffee, a tax on tea, and per.
haps an increase Of the internal rev.
enue taxation on the lighter liquors.
Tea and coffee hardly can be
classed as luxuries, though presuma.
bly, mankind can get along well
enough, II II tries, without using either
as a beverage. The Democrats say a
tariff on tea and coffee would be q
tax put on the breakfast table OF eV.
cry man and woman in the land, rich
and poor alike. They claim, and per-
haps rightly, that such a tariff would
be extremely unpopular and would go
far toward discreditlng Republican
reform measure.
Taft Not Enthusiastic.
There Is feeling. however, that Taft
is not entirely enamored Of the inner
itance taxation proposition. Some Of
the president-elect's utterances have
been so construed. and II he feels as
some members of congress think that
he feels, II may have the effect OF pre-
venting the serious proposal Of tax.
ing inheritances.
II is pretty we'll understood by this
time that the Democrats under Champ
Clarks leadership will not present q
complete tariff measure Of their own
as q minority proposition. II the party
should draw and present complete
bill. IL would give the country definite
knowledge of just where the Demo-
Gratis stand on all schedule matters.
and as the tariff Is now recognized to
be in q large sense a local issue, some
Of the Democrats might be hurt in
their own districts II the people there
of were to know that the party was
ready to inJure q home industry.
Two months ago II was stated there
was a strong likelihood that Clark and
his followers would content them.
selves with the Amendment plan"--
that IL, they would offer amendments
to various paragraphs In the Repub.
lican measure when II was under con-
sideration in the house. This would
give the Democracy the chance to pick
it's own tragets and refrain from shoot.
ing at anything the hitting Of which
might damage Democratic prospects.
This plan OF the minority still seems
TO be the one that is likely to prevail.
Only About Five Weeks Left.
The ways and means committee ma
Jority has about i've weeks left in
which TO complete its bill II II il to be
presented At the opening Of the ex-
trordinary session in March. The task
Of going through the schedules care
fully with the necessary listening Ia
the arguments pro and con of the com
mittee members, has been n hard one
The fact that the committee Is en-
gagged in the actual framing OF the bill
has not prevented Il from receiving
pleas and counter-pleas from the coun
try concerning some Of the schedules
The time at the disposal Of the ways
and means committee Ia drawing q
an end. The members do not state
specifically how far they have gone
with their work, but there Is every
reason 20 believe that satisfactory
progress has been made and that Z
bill win be ready to present to con
gress March is. bill that must ruE
Sta chances In both house and senate