The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1909-07-22
TARIFF REDUCTION ASSURED
Fight By President Taft to End
in Victory.
GETS IRON and OIL ON FREE LIST
The Conferees Transferred to the
Presidents Shoulders the Re-
sponsibility of Putting Raw
Materials on the Free List.

Washing Taft will
win his fight for free or reduced
rates of duty on raw materials.
Nearly every member of the con-
ference on the tariff bill concede
this. The indications are that when
the new tariff bill becomes a law
the rates on the articles which the
president desired to come in free
will be as follows:
Iron ore, free (present rate, 40
cents per TOM Oil free (now pro-
tected by countervailing duties.)
Hides, IL per cent ad valorem
(present rate, 15 per cent? Coal,
4 5 cents per ton (present rate, 81
cents.) Lumber, probably $1.25 on
rough, with senate rates on finished.
This would be a material reduc-
ton throughout the lumber sched
ule.
When the conferees transferred
to the presidents shoulders the re-
sponsibility Of putting the foregoing
raw materials on the free list it was
not believed he would meet with
success in bringing about changed
sentiment in relation to these ar
ticles. For several days however,
members of congress have been go
ing to the White House, and not a
few of them came away convinced
that the president was right in in
sisting that all OF these articles
could stand lower duties. 1t was not
believed he would be able to put
hides, lumber or coal on the free list,
but it was acknoW lodged that any
reduction in rates of the pending bill
on these articles would amount to
an administration triumph.
In effect, the president was told
by the conferees that if iron ore, oil.
coal, hides or lumber were put on
the free list or the rates reduced be-
low figures adopted in the senate
he would have to get the votes.
1t was recognized that it would be
impossible to put hide, lumber and
coal on the free list were the con-
ference report to be adopted by the
senate. Neither was it believed
that rates on these articles could be
reduced.
With the exception of rice and
the limitation placed upon tobacco
and sugar, all articles, 1.-The growth
product or manufacture of the Phil
ippine Islands," will be admitted
free. The inclusion of the words
cor manufacture" Is the subject OF
criticism in many quarters, many
congressman assuming that this will
provide an open door to articles
whose materials are grown else
where.
The estimated cost of the canal is
1875, 201 900, which will be the fig
ure named in the new authorization,
and bonds at the rate of per cent
may be issued, as they are needed,
therefore, to the amount Of $780,
$4,000. It is understood that
bonds to the amount of $4,000, 900,
covering the cost of the canal prop
erty and the canal zone, will be is
sued at an early date in order to
reimburse the treasury working bal
ance from which the money paid for
the property was drawn.
There is no longer any question
that the corporation tax amendment
will be accepted. Attorney General
Wickersham still has it in his GUS
tody, but the draft has been seen
by some of the conferees, and they
have found it to be satisfactory. 1t
will tax the net earnings of cor
porations organized for profit at the
rate of I per cent.