New-York tribune., 1909-04-13
SENATE TARIFF BILL
REVISION DOWN WARD
NTH TAXES ON Lux
URIES INCREASED.
Burdens on Necessities Lghtenc3
and Inheritance Tar Eliminated
Debate to Begin Thursday.
rFron, The Tribune Bu4aau. ]


ported the Senate to-day the Finance Com
mittee's substitute for the schedules and fres
list of the Payne tariff bill Adjournment was
taken until Thursday. when Mr.. Aldrich will
open the debate on the bill by explaining the
principal changes proposed in the substitute. At
the same time he will present TO the Senate
carefully prepared statement showing the esti-
mated revenue under the schedules.
With few exceptions the important provisions
IN the Senate substitute have been outlined in
these dispatches for the last ten days The ex-
elusive announcement in The Tribune Of April
that Mr.. Aldrich had submitted to President Taft
the tentative draft of the substitute bill. and
that it provided for reductions necessities
and increases on Iuxures is borne out by
analysis of the measure reported to-day The
Senate bill meets the expectations Of those who
have beer looking for genuine revision That Il
IS an Improvement over the House bill is as
serted on all sides for in the main the rates are
lower and are so arranged that the burden Of
taxation Will fall on those who are best able to
bear it
MIR ALDRICH ANSWERS DEMOCRATS
Democratic Senator's made their expected pro-
test when the bill was reported 1t well
understood that they were merely making cam
paign material. and the Senate leaders per-
mitted them to talk without interruption. When
they had finished Senator AIdrich said few
words in defence Of the policy pursued by him
and his Republican associates on the Finance
Committee. and pointed out that If the Demo-
cratic programme had been followed many
months would have been wasted. The protest
for the minority made by Senators Daniel.
Bailey and CubersOn. They directed attention
to the brevity of the meeting of the Finance
Committee this morning. and said the bill had
not been read and that no consideration had
been given to it They declared that they want
ed the country to know the story OF the elimina-
tion of the minority. and Mr. Daniel said that
while it might be defended on the ground that
it d Senate custom. he wished 10 observe
that it was custom more honOred in the breach
than in the observance. Mr.. AIdrich pointed
out that there would be full opportunity for con-
sideration of the bill on the floor and that every
Senator would have an opportunity to express
himself fully the subject He said the action
of the Republicans was dictated by desire TO
pass a tariff bill at the earliest possible date,
and that the majority party willing TO ac-
cept fun responsibility.
SOME SCHEDULES LEFT OPEN
The maximum and minimum and administra-
tive features were not included in the report
made to-day, but viii be submitted later. The
committee has not decided on the rates it will
recommend in regard to coal. hides. petroleum.
steel rails and wood pulp and the articles de-
ther information respecting some of these arti-
cIes. and in regard TO others it is desired that
the wishes of the Senate shall be ascertained be-
fore report is made
THE QUESTION OF REVENUES
The rates in the Senate bill are lower than
those in the Payne bill. the actual number Of
reductions being about three times the number
of increases The great mass of rates are be-
he iSi,r, %
the Payne bill for an inheritance tax is stricken
out. as the committee, after much study and
many consultations with the officers OF the
Treasury Department, saw its way clear to pro-
vide for the raising of adequate revenue with
out the Imposition of a special tax The qUes-
ton of revenue has been prominent in every
phase of the making of the tariff law and
no feature of the bill has received closer study
from Mr. AIdrich than this. The Rhode Island
Senator will be prepared Thursday give
the Senate accurate information 70 the
amount that will be realized in customs receipts
under the duties If he can demonstrate.
as he thinks ne can. that the customs receipts
under his proposed tariff revision measure will
meet all ordinary governmental expenditures. Il
is believed that little time Will be devoted TO
amendments offered the floor for income
tax an inheritance tax, tax dividends and
similar propositions
are those who have been here for many weeks
in the interest of a high tariff lumber Many
Democratic Senators had assured them that
they would stand firm for the retention Of the
81 rate on lumber. The lumbermen believed
that the Finance Committee would recommend
this rate. that it would be approved by the Sem
ate and that the conference committee would
not make reduction below 81 30. The Senate
bill provides for the same rate on lumber az
that carried in the House bill. namely 81 thou
sand feet There will be determined fight
the floor to raise this s.. with the Southern
and Pacific Coast Senators fghting shoulder to
shoulder.
CUTS ON GLOVES AND HOSIERY.
The action of the Finance Committee in strik-
ing out the increases on hosiery and womens
gloves carried in the Payne bill and restoring
the Dingley rates meets general cOmmendaton-
Much of the popular opposition to the Payne
bill arose from the fact that IL provided for
marked increases of duties these feminine
necessities.
In the House the advocates of THE free
breakfast table Won signal victory when they
forced a reluctant Ways and Means Committee
to restore coffee and tea the free list. Under.
the leadership of the New York delegation
of a pound
bill taxed cocoa at cents pound. the rate be-
ing reduced to cents just before the bill
passed. The Senate committee has restored
cocoa to the free list believing that article
of such general consumption should more be