The Washington herald., 1911-01-17
COMPROMISE BILL
FOR TARIFF BOARD
Committee Will Present
New Measure.
DEMOCRATS MAY FILIBUSTER
At the Request of President Taft,
Following White House Confer.
ence. Ways and Means Committee
Majority Decides to Draft Measure
On Lines of Pending Bills.

Consideration of the pending tarln
board bills will be given at meeting
ot the Committee on Ways and Means to
he held Tomorrow. Complying with the
request of President Taft made at Sun
day nights White House conference, the
Rerilbl:can members of the committee
have decided to report bill and To make
an effort to pass it in the House.
The committee bill will represent a
compromise. containing provisions to be
taken from both the DalZell and Long
worth bills The committee bill it is
understood. will give the tariff board
broader powers Of inquiry than those au-
tlIoriZod 10y the DalZell bill. but will not
he as sweeping in its terms in this re-
SpeCt as the Lon;;worth bill.
There is one feature of the lOncwOrth
bill that will he conspicuous by its alb
senc. from the committee bill. That is
The provision authorizing the board to
certify tC the House the names of in
dividualS or corporations that refuse to
submit data upon the request of the
board.
At Sunday nights conference an at
tempt was made to persuade President
Taft that time would not permit of the
tariff board.
Democrats May Filibuster.
1t WIS pointed out that the Senate
Democrats had given Eotice that they
would filibuster against tariff board leg
islation if such action were necessary to
defeat it. The President replied tha;
promises had been made to the country.
and that it was the duty of the party To
try to pass bill providing for a per-
manent tariff board. II the legislation
were defeated by the Democrats, then
the blame would rest on them.
The indications are that the President
will be lucky if he succeeds in retaining
the services of the present tariff board.
1t is a foregone conclusion that neither
the LOngworth nor the DalZell bill. nor
any like measure. can be enacted into law
therefore. to secure an appropriation of
900 to enable the present board to
prosecute its inquiries. Even this PROPOSE
tiOn is in danger.
The sundry civil bill. now being framed
will carry the tariff beard item. 1t will
propose an appropriation of $4,000 for the
purposes of the board. with the proviso
that the money shall be available until
used. This provision adopted. the funds
during the next fiscal year and the year
following. 1t is the rule of Congress to
limit the life Of an appropriation to a sin
gle fiscal year.
The suggestion that the funds of the
tariff board shall be made available for
two fiscal years is unusual that il has
excited a good deal OF comment among
me mbers.
Politics In Measure.
The Democrats charge. and the truth
Of it is not denied by the Republicans.
that the purpose is to make certain the
life Of the tariff board for two years, thus
rendering futile any efforts that may be
made by the Democratic House at the
next session or the session to follow to
legislate the tariff board out of existence
The Democrats will fight this proposal.
Representative Tawney and other Re-
publican leaders concede that ii Is sub
ject to a point of order. and cannot re-
main in the sundry civil bill unless the
House. through the medium of a special
rule, declares it to be in order. Special
rules are not popular with the insurgents
and progressives, and whether one can
be passed to retain the tariff board ap-
preparation in the sundry civil bill is q
matter Of conjecture.
Taken all in all. the situation does not
promise much for the administration.
While a tariff board bill will be reported
by the Ways and Means Committee, the
real fight over this question will be to
continue the existence Of the present
ia riff hoard.