Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-12-25
CONGRESS MUST MAKE CHOICE
Hard Fight for Supremacy Ex-
pected to Begin After Holidays.
INDUSTRY NOT ENDANGERED
Member of Finance Committee Gives
Ideas on Revision.
APPROVES TAFT SUGGESTION
FavOrs Levying Duties on Wool by
Single Specific Duty Based Upon
Secured Pound with Two
other Rates.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24-Congress is to
have a surfeit of bills revising the wooden
tariff schedules, and a hard fight for
supremacy In the passage OF such legis-.
lauon is assured to begin Immediately
after he holiday recess.
Democratic members Of the ways ana
means committee, under the direction OF
Representative Underwood, the chairman,
have in charge the preparation OF a bill,
the republican members OF the committee
also are preparing a wool bill, and tonight
Senator Smoot of Utah. a member of the
finance committee, announced his ap-
proval of the tariff boards report on the
woolen schedules and said that he, too,
would prepare a bill.
II am pleased with the tariff boards
report on schedule X" Senator Smoot
said in announcing his purpose. "and hope
that the findings OF that board will be
accepted by the American people coming
as they do from a nonpartisan board"
Asserting that a wool bill can be pre-
pared upon the facts submitted that will
not interfere materially with the wooden
industry as now established and main
tained by the republican policy of pro-
tection," Senator smoot continued:
81 will prepare a bill In which the rates
of duty imposed will equal the difference
of the cost Of producing wool and the
manufactures of wool in this country and
foreign countries based upon the tariff
boards report"
Revision Necessary.
After an analysis Of the report, Senator
| Smoot submitted for consideration of the
public the following ideas as to the re-
vision necessary in the wooden schedule:
THE report shows that fine and fine
medium woods, which represent nearly
80 per cent of our domestic clip, bring
from eleven to twelve cents per pound.
The remaining twenty per cent, being
the course grades, cost less. Australia
and New Zealand produce great guam
titles OF wool that come into competI-
ton With American fine and fine me-
dium vols and costs net to produce, ac-
cording to the boards report, nothing,
as the profits from the sale OF muttoi
and sheep for stocking other runs pay
in normal year the entire station ex-
penses, leaving the fleece profit.
Let us be more than liberal and al
low two cents a pound to cover extra
ordinary losses that may be caused by
calanitous droughts which happen. at
long intervals, in Australia. We then
find a difference of the net cost of
producing fine and fine medium woods
in this country and Australia and New
Zealand, the American wool growers
competitors, 1of cents to 10 cents per
pound.
1.-THE report also shows that western
fine woods shrink on an average of 81
per cent, Ohio fine woods. 60 per cent.
and the lower grade of woods an average
of 45 per cent; while the national aver
age is about 60 per cent. Imported woods
now coming In largely sklrted fleeces)
shrink nearly 50 per cent. 1t is generally
conceded that the average shrinkage OF
Australian woods unskirted, would be Sc
per cent or more.
Approves Suggestion,
II approve OF the presidents suggested
plan of levying duties on wool by a single
specific duty based upon the secured
pound, with all wools now classified as
first and second class thrown together
with one rate imposed. and third class
or carpet woods at another and lower
rate.
These facts ascertained and a plan
agreed upon, 1t is, easy to determine the
rate OF duty necessary to protect the
American wool grower. II the difference
in the cost OF producing woods, Other
than carpet and the lower grades, in this
country and abroad is. say. only cents
per pound and the average shrinkage OF
fine and fine medium woods imported anc
under this plan still heavier shrinkag,
woods to be hereafter imported is only q
per cent, then the actual rate OF duty
on the secured wool content should b,
20 cents per pound"