Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-11-06
HARD Shedding FOR
REPORT ON TARIFF
TO RECEIVE SEVERE MAN.
HANDLING.
DEMOCRATS THREATEN TO
RIP THEM UP AND DOWN
May Succeed in Blocking All Tariff
Legislation at Forthcoming Session
Great Game Of Politics to be Played
at Washington This Winter-Demo.
Gratis May Be Put in Hole.
Especial Correspondence


Washington, Nov G-The tariff board
reports on wool and cotton are going
to have hard shedding when they reach
congress. The house democrats are
laying for them
Unless predictions are all at sea, the
tariff board reports are going to get
such a manhandling as few perfectly
good and l-behaved official docu-
ments have in recent years. The dem
ocrats say they are going to rip them
up and tear them to pieces unless J!
proves to be the case that they make
just such showing as the democrats
want. In that event, they will be
handled more gently.
The democrats. however. do not ex-
pect the reports will be to their lik-
ing and they have been busy for
months gathering up lot of data OF
their own with which they hope TO dis
credit the tariff board showings.
Democrats May Block Legislation.
This determination on their, part
points to serious difficulty in the way
OF tariff legislation the coming session.
In fact. II makes il appear probable
that tariff revision will go the way it
went last session. That is. the house
democrats are likely to refuse TO pass
bill or bills based on the tariff board
figure. and to insist on passing their
own bills. These measures probably
can rot pass the senate. The progress
sive republicans in both house and
senate will be impcllct; 70 stand by
~ nc hnavI In 9lIch
situation, tire chances look much as
II there would be no tarin legislation.
A Game Of Politics.
President Taft and his close advisers
! have been hoping that it would re
possible TO get tariff legislation this
session. They feel that i: legislation
can be had and If lower tariffs can be
secured. it will go far toward remov-
| ing from President Taft the burden OF
! the public dsipieasure that fell upon
him for vetoing the wool bill last ses-
sion. 1t is we'll understood that there
( is anxiety in administration circles to
/ get revision OF such schedules as the
tariff board reports on accomplished
at this session. Such revision would
obviously help the standing Of the
president with the tariff revisionists OF
the country and would make his cam
paicn for reelection, in case he is
renominsted, easier.
Board to Be Given Grillins.
! The members Of the tariff board,
! every one of them, are going to be
called before the house ways and means
| committee and given a grilling. Rep
resentative Francis Burton Harrison OF
| New York. who is on the ways and
means committee, and who himself has
! studied the cotton schedule and the
wool schedule carefully. said today the
! members OF the board would be called
before the committee and subjected to
inquiry to learn what their figures were
based on. The tariff board has had ex-
! perts at work in this coun-
try and abroad These experts
or some OF them will be called
before the committee also. Mr. Harri-
son expects. Especially. ne pointed out,
the committee would want to know just
what kind Of information the experts
had who were sert abroad to find out
about cost Of production as the guide In
making tariff. He pointed out that il
the cost Of production in the least effici-
ent mills were taken as the basis. then
premium was put on inefficiency and
dishonesty II the cost Of pro-
I auction IN tHe MOST ehicieh'
mills is taken as the basis.
then there will be large class Of poor
er mills left to suffer and II an aver
age is taken: then the best mills will
have much advantage over the poor
and inefficient mills. In short. Mr..
Harrison denies that a scientific tar
if can be established on any such basis
as the cost OF production, which varies
IS>f
in the same establishments.
From the democratic viewpoint. the
tarif board ought not exist because II
the country Is to have a tariff for rev.
enue only, then the cost Of production
does not enter into it. Besides, the
democrats will contend the board has
OF production cost and 1t will have
plenty Of figures to match up against
the tariff board data.
May Put Democrats In Hole.
Representative Burleson Of Texat
one Of the ablest Of the house leaders
expressed the beliefthe tariff board
, figures would be sharply attacked by
the democrats and probably discred-
, tied.
B Should it prove true that the tarif
0 board figures cut in under those o.
:, even the house wool bill and the hous,
cotton bill Of last session, then, OBJ
D viously, 1t would be difficult for tn,
S democrats to do anything except fal
0 In lire. They would not relish this bu
0 thsy could. as a political proposition
0 not well do otherwise.
:, Extremely low figures. on the othe
ihand, will stir the standpatters in con
0 gress, in house and senate. to fighting
0 pitch. They might organize opposition
in the senate that would be hard t.
overcome.
! Under the circumstances, when tn
t tarif board gets ready to turn 1ta fig
ures over to the president to be by hin