The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-08-02
History of the Measure and a Summary of Its Principal PrOVisi0nS---Th New
 Free List.

BIS 1n the history or the naIlOuak Cdp- ita1 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- ceived in the senate and referred to the committee on finance, April 10. Addrich of Rhode Island, the leader of fthe senate as chairman of the finance committee, subsequently became chair man of the conference committee, which was appointed to adjust the diff Ierences 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 It's final form was victory for Pres Ident Taft. He informed all of the eonferees 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 2 per cent. Now Chairman Sereno E. Payne of the ways and means committee decided to demon Btrate that his original bill, providing for free hides should no longer be sub 5ected 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 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 asiQuickly 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.
 If 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 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 45 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 no 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 to be imposed by the Dingley law were cut by these decisions, the reductions in some instances being from 60 per cent to per cent ad valorem.
 Probably the most marked reduc- tions are found in the metal schedule. Beginning with a decrease in the rate of iron ore from 40 to 15 cents per ton,
 
 that part of the bill, pig iron going down from $4 to $2.5O per ton and scrap iron from $4 to $1. The reduc- tion on many of the items in this schedule amounts to about 50 per cent
 Rough lumber goes down from S1.5o to $1.25 per thousand feet, with a cor responding reduction in the differential on dressed lumber.
 nroSidonf Sr1hi fnd fa ;verest pressure from both the upward and downward fevisionists 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 nossibly be renominated for the pres idepcy. The 'downwards' told him that Roosevelt would surely be the next Republican candidate for presi- dent if the campaign promises for a ~ downward revision were not fulfilled I The Corporation Tax.
 The president had a highly difficult task also in preserving his scheme for corporation tax intact in the Payne bill. This feature is clearly the most unpopular one in the entire measure. 50 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 in the various state legislatures condemning the act and recommend ing its repeal, according to statements made by various congressman in Washington.
 The corporation tax of per cent on the entire net income over and above S5,OOO received by corporations iron all sources, exclusive of certain items must be paid on or before June 3( each year. Persons authorized tC make returns or statements to the government and who make returns or statements of a fraudulent nature ar subject to a fine of Sl,OOO and i'm prisonment for one year.
 During the closing days of the tar if controversy, before the bill wa