New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-23
CHEMICAL SCHEDULE
REAL TARIFF FIASCO
Senator Overman's Reductions
Actually Meant Substantial
Increases in Rates.
CLERK MADE THE REVISION
Democrats Voted Solidly for Un-
considered Amendment to Cot
ton Bill-Veto Showed
Their Folly.
From Tho Tribune Blu ,au.l

Washington. Aug. 22.-When the gavels
fell in announcement Of the adjournment
of both houses Of Congress to-day Sen
ator Overman. OF North Carolina, almost
unanimously received the distinction OF
having been the sponsor for the greatest
tariff fasco Of the session.
Representative Underwood as chair
man Of the Ways and Means Committee
of the House. topped the list Of tinkerers
In the matter of quantity, having framed
the cotton bill and divided with Senator
La Toilette of Wisconsin. the question
able honor of fathering the nondescrip'
wool bill. which was neither FISH. flesh nor
fowl from the point OF view OF the advo-
Gates of free trade, protection or tariff
for revenue only.
But the Senator from North Carolina
did more than either Of those Legislators
in the way of extraordinary tariff re-
vision. He introduced as an amendment
TO the cotton bill a revision Of the chem
ical schedule. with the idea of giving the
cotton manufacturers of his state the
benefit of a reduction in the duty on the
materials used in the industry. mpor-
tant among these is bleaching powder
Senator Overman. calling 10 his rescue
AT the eleventh hour a clerk Of the Treas
ury Department. framed revision OF
the chemical schedule designed TO re-
duce the tariff rates TO an ad valorem
basis and decrease them % per cent
He awoke to-day, when the President
veto message was sent TO the Capitol 70
the Intelligence that he had increased
the rate on bleaching powder 80 per
cent instead Of decreasing II 25 per cent
and that ne had made similar increases
with respect 10 other items OF the bl!l
which he had intended 10 reduce.
Those errors. which would have meant
disaster instead Of advantage 20 cotton
mills Of the South. and the North as we'll
were likewise swallowed by the triumph
ant Democratic majority Of the House.
and would have been made part Of the
tariff law Of the land had it not been for
the timely veto Of the President
Among the more glaring inconsisten-
cies OF the schedule are the increase or
the duty on boracic acid between 20 and
30 per cent. OF the duty on alum 10 per
cent and OF the duty on zinc oxide % per
cent. The same Inconsistencies appear
in the reductions" OF duties, some Of
which are nearer 100 per cent than -.
Last Of ALL in some cases the raw ma
terials we're taxed higher rate than the
finished products.
For this tariff revision the Senator
from North Carolina is quite willing 70
assume the responsibility. II was pre-
sented as a threat 20 the Democrats who
persisted in undertaking some kind OF
cotton revision. II was intended 10 de-
Law consideration of the cotton bill. SEN
ator Overman admitted that he had no
idea what the effect Of the proposed g.
vision would be on revenue or on the
cotton or chemical industry and he took
the word OF the clerk who had hastily
prepared il that II represented a hori-
zontal reduction OF - per cent.
The unexpected feature Of the extraor-
dinary legislative proceeding was that
the Democrats took the joke seriously