Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-23
MINORITY REPORT ON TARIFF
Democrats Say Payne Bill is Crude,
Indefinite and Sectional.
BID FOR CUSTOMS WAR
II IL Alleged that Proposed Measure
VIII Greatly Increase the Cost
of LtvinE--Bitter Attack
on Many Sections.

WASHINGTON. March %. - That the
Payne tariff bill will increase the cost Of
living; that II is crude. indefinite. sectional
and prohibitive and that it is an open chal-
lenge to a trade war with every other ma
ton on earth, are some of the criticisms of
that measure made by the democratic mem
bers OF the ways and means committed in
the minority report submitted to the house
by minority Leader Champ Clark today.
The report Is a severe arraignment Of the
revision which the Payne bill proposes.
The countervailing duty provisions for cof-
fee and petroleum. the maximum and mini
mum features. the Cuban reciprocity clause,
the wooden, glass, agricultural and sugar
schedules are, bitterly attacked.
There are many changes. for the most
part minor changes" says the report, 'of
the Dingley rates, some up and some down.
Most Of the changes in a downward direc-
ton are more apparent than real, the Payne
rates being as prohibitive in their results In
many cases as the Dingley rates. In some
of the schedules containing the most ex-
orbitant rates there are no changes giving
any appreciable relief to the great body Of
consumers"
Declaring tariff is a tax paid by the
consumer and that the only function of
a tariff law is TO raise revenue to supply
the needs of the government, the minority
members Of the committee insist that in
stead Of an increae of taxes for a ney issue
Of bonds, the correct remedy for the grow
ing deficiency IN the revenues us the
cutting down of the expenses of running
the government.
Bid for Tariff War.
Continuing the criticism of the Payne bill,
the report says:
The whole maximum and minimum tar
If scheme as set forth in the Payne bill
enables foreign countries to force us to
raise the rates Of the Payne schedules 20
per cent, which would, after making ample
allowance for all reductions in the Payne
bill, increase our tariff rates on the aver
age much above the rates of the Dingley
law, a prospect which will bring sorrow
and dismay to the great body of the peo-
pie. We are most heartily in favor of such
a maximum and minimum tariff as will
enable our government to negotiate tariff
arrangements by making concessions to
other governments by reducing the rates
Of our statute, when such other countries
will make equally valuable concessions to
us; the maximum rates should be the rates
Of our statutes, whatever they are and the
minimum a reasonable rate below our
statutory rates; but as it stands, the maxi
mum and minimum tariff plan of the Payne
bill is an open challenge to a trade war
with every other nation on earth. n is
seeking trade with a club OF meat ak. We
are opposed to such an unwise and unneces-
sary performance.
I'm this connection 1t may be well to
ponder thoroughly our relations with Cuba.
Does any sane man suppose for a moment
that the great commercial nations, our
competitors for the worlds trade, will con-
code that Cuba is one OF our dependencies
1t is a thing incredible. To ask that ques-
ton is to answer II.
The bill is, in many, respects. crude, in
definite, sectional and prohibitive. 1t seems
to us from our examination, which was
necessarily hssty, that on the whole it in
creases the cost of living, For example, it
will increase, the rice OF hosiery about 30
per cent, and certainly no body will claim
that hosiery is a luxury in this day and
generation. In numerous Instance the pro-
lection exceeds the entire labor cost Of
production"