The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-20
Democrats of the House Pro
pose to Place Many Articles
on the Free List.
CHAIRMAN UNDERWOOD
REPORTS THE MEASURE
President Taft Quoted i'm Justi-
fication of the Proposed
Tariff Reductions.

WASHINGTON. April l9.-The ma
Jority report of the ways and mean:
committee on the so called farmer s free
list bill, submitted to the house today
by Chairman Underwood. is merger Of
Democratic political argument and ar
analysis of the proposed duty cxemp
| Lions.
The report shows that the bill would
reduce the tariff revenues Sl0,0l6, ,495
| based on the importatiens for the last
| fiscal year, an amount described as SIN
considerable in comparison with thc
great saving and advantages to all OF
our people from the additions to the
free list provided for.
Quoting President Taft S recent ca
madam reciprocity speeches, the report
seeks to convey the impression that
the administration is convinced that
protective tariff rates are too high,
H1n several public addresses. 1T
says "he {the president) has admitted
that tariff rates are too high, that such
rates have resulted in excessively
high prices felt especially in the in
creased cost of living which now bears
heavily on our people, and that they
benefits of domestic competition under
high protective duties
The Democratic View.
Referring TO the president s state.
ment that tho Republican party had
modified its tariff policy so as to limit
it for purposes Of protection to the diff
abroad with a reasonable profit to the
United States producers, the committee
report saws;
This is a confession. as was the Re
publican platform of 1908, that the the
ory of high protective duties as put
forth by the Republican party has
broken down, that combinations and
trusts winch prey upon the people have
been fostcred by the tariff, and that
under high tariff protection United
States manufacturers have forced un-
reasonable profits from the people"
Again the report declares:
"The Canadian reciprocity agreement
now before the house is recognition on
the part of the administration of the in
furious effects of the extreme protect
i've policy which has 40 long been inn
posed upon the country, and is an effort
to mitigate its effects.'
The reciprocity agreement, the com
mittee asserts, cannot afford the United
States people all the needed relief from
high prices.
"Action on the agreement involves
tie necessity of further and immediate
action in removing a number of duties
on imports from other countries in or
der that justice may be done TO the
great army of agricultural producers
who, in the Canadian agreement, are to
have all the alleged protection removed
from their products without CORE.
spending or reciprocal removal Of the |
protective duties most burdensome on |
the commodities they must purchase as |
necessary to sustain their lives and in. |
lustries.'
Alleged Implement Trust.
The report takes up in detail the
classified list of articles included IN the
free list bill, Regarding agricultural
Implements it says their manufacture is
controlled by trusts and combinations
hat have sold in foreign countries at
over prices than at home, building up
heir foreign trade from $3,s59,ISl in
1890 to S28.124, ,033 in 1910.
Bagging and baling materials, essen.
lal in the transportation of acrieul-
,ural products, the report says, cannot
receive benefits Of protection in home
and duties on them, fhaye
and burdeucd the farmers to
add to the profits of exacting trusts
and combinations.
Various Trusts Attacked.
Concerning hoops, bands and ties of
ron and steel, barbed wire for fencing,
etc, the report says the high duties
make the people dependent upon the
giant steel industry" which for
'ears has sold products abroad lower
han to domestic consumers, and de-
,lares that placing them on the free