Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-08-12
THE PAYNE
History Of the Measure and a
Summary Of Its Principal
ProvIsions-..The New
Free List.

After one of the bitterest and one
of the most momentOus legislative Gu
els in the history Of the national cap
atal 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 (huNse report 1898, was re-
Ceived In the senate and referred to
the committee on finance. April 10.
Aldrich of Rhode Island. the lender of
che senate ~ chairman Of the finance
committee, subsequently becnr.o CHAIR
mnn of the conference committee.
which was appointed to adjust the diff
ferences arising between senate and
house and between both houses OF
congress and the president.
Taft For Froe Hides.
The report of the conference com
mittre which determined what would
be the provisions Of the Payne bill in
it's inal form was a victory for Pres
ident Taft. He Informed all Of the
ronferees 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
Oh hides 70 8 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 7 per cent. Now Chairman
Serene =. Payne of the ways and
means committee decided to demon
strate that his original bill, providing
for free hides should no longer be sub.
jected to the emasculatory operations
Of the majority OF the conferces. he
announced that not even per cent
duty OH 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 Oft hides instanter
and as quickly 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.
II hides came In free. the Imprr.Snt
New England boot and shoe nanufnc
turing interests would consent to re-
duction of the tariff on their products
otherwise they would continue to fight
The solving Of the hides problem lef,
It a simple matter to agree to lowel
duties on boots and shoes-the Ding
ley rate being % per cent. Saddlery
and harness were cut to 40 per cent
as against the Dingley rate Of As pei
cent. The president resorted to the
unusual method Of sending writer
message to the conference committed
demanding lower rates on lumber an(
gloves than the Payne bill provided
and he secured them.
Wool and Cotton.
The wool schedule underwent n,
change Of consequence. but the entir'
cotton schedule was reconstructed ant
the phraseology greatly changed in tn
hope of preventing reductions through
decisions by the courts such rs hav'
characterized the administration of tn
Dingley law during recent years. II
many instances the rates intend, L
be imposed by the Dingiey law wer
cut by these decisions. the reduction
in some instances being from 60 pc
cent to per cent ad valorem.
Probably the most marked redut
tons are found In the metal schedule
beginning with a decrease in the rat
OF iron ore from 40 to Is cents per tor
there is a general reduction throughou
that part Of the bill. pig iron goin
down from 81 to $3.50 per ton an
scrap iron from 81 to 81. The redut
ton on many Of the items in TIL
schedule amounts to about 20 per cen
Rough lumber goes down from Sl.5
10 1925 per thousand feet. With a CO.
responding reduction In the different,
On dressed lumber.
The president was subjected to q,
verest pressure from both the upwar
md downward revisionists throughou
The upward revisiOntsts told him thu
reduction Of duty on hides an
leather manufactures would make tt
next congress Democratic. in whic
event they argued that Taft would NJ
possibly be reuominated for the pre-
idency. The "downwards" told hi
that Roosevelt would surely be II
next Republican candidate for pres
dent II the campaign promises for
downward revision were not fulfilled
Tho Corporation Tax.
The president had highly difficu
task also in preserving his scheme II
corporation tax intact in the Payr
bill. This feature Is clearly the mo
unpopular one In the entire measur
80 far ms members Of the senate nr
house were concerned. Many Of II
members argued to the president tn
the tax as provided for was unco
stitutional Resolutions will be intr
duced In the various state Legislature
condemning the act and recommen
ing its repeal, according to statemen
made by various congressman
Washington.
The corporation tax Of per cent ,
the entire not income over and abo
$1,000 received by corporations fro
all sources. exclusive of certain item
must be paid on or before June
each year Persons authorized
make returns or statements to t
government and who make returns
statements of a fraudulent nature &