Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-04-21
Of WAYS AMID
MEANS COMMITTEE
ON FREE LIST BILL
Submitted to House Wednes-
day by Chairman Under
Wood---IS Merger of A'gu-
ment of Proposed Exemption

wASHINGTON.> d. C.. April 81
Amid applause from the Democratic
hosts of the house. Chairman Under
wood. of the ways and means commit
tee, today favorabIy reported the tar-
mers' free list bill He gave notice
that he would call the bill up for pass
age shortly after Canadian reciprocity
had been passed by the house. He con-
scented that Representative Dalzell,
of Pennsylvania, should nave all the
time he desires in which to file mi
nority report opposed to the freq list
bill
The report shows that the bill would
reduce the tariff revenue $10,016.495s
based on the importations for the last
fiscal year, an amount described as
'inconsiderable in comparison with the
great saving and advantage to all OF
our people from the additions I'D the
free list provided for
Quoting President Taft's recent Cana
dian reciprocity specifies, the report
seeks to convey the impression that the
administration is convinced that pro-
tective tariff rates are too high.
QUOTING PRESIDENT.
I'm several public addresses" II 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 increased
cost of living which now bears heavily
on our people, and that they have not
received the long promised benefits OF
domestic competition under high rrotec-
tive duties"
Referring to the presidents state
ment that the Republican party had
modified It's tariff policy so as to limit
it for purposes of protection to the diff
ference in cost of production here and
abroad with reasonable profit 70 the
American producer, the committee report
says:
This is a confession. as was the Re-
publican platform of 1908, that the the
DRY Of high protective duties, as put
forth by the Republican party. has bro
ken down, that combinations and trusts
which prey upon the people have been
fostered by the tariff. and that under
tariff protection American manufactu-
rers have forced unreasonable profits
from the people"
Again the report declares: The
Canadian reciprocity agreement now be-
fore the house is recognition on the
part of the administration of the IN
furious effects of the extreme rirotec-
tive policy which has so long BEEN inn
posed upon the country, and is an eff
fort to mitigate its effects.f
RECIPROCITY .AGhEEMENT
The reciprocity agreement. the COM
mIttee assert, cannot AFFORD the 4Ameri-
can people all the needed relief from
high prices Action on the agreement
involves the necessity of further and
immediate action in removing number
of duties on imports from other coun-
tries in order that justice may be done
to the great army of agricultural pro-
ducers, who. in the Canadian agreement.
are to have all the alleged protection re-
moved from their products without a
corresponding or reciprocal removal OF
the protective duties most burdensome
on the commodities they must purchase
as necessary to sustain their lives and
industries"
The report takes UP in detail the clas-
sified list of articles included in the free
list bill. Regarding agricultural imple-
ments. 1t says their manufacture is con-
trolled by trusts and combinations that
have sold in foreign countries at lower
prices than at home, building up their
foreign trade from $3.50 1874, in 1890,
to s2s,124,033 in 1910.
Bagging and baling materials essen
tial in the transportation of agricultural
products, the report says, cannot re-
ceive benefits of protection in home
markets and duties on them have an
noyed and burdened the farmers to add
to the profits of exacting trusts and
com binatiOns." Concerning hoops,
bands and ties of iron and steel, barbed
wire for fencing. etc, the report says
the high duties make the people de
PENDENT upon the giant steel industfN
which for years has sold produces
abroad lower than to domestic consuu*
ers. and declares that placfhg them Oh
the free list will be a long Delayed
measure of equity and Justice. D.
forms of leather from cattle hides and
skins, together with boots. shoes, har-
ness, saddlery. etc, the COMMITTEES ar
CUES, will be of advantage in manufae-<
turing and necessarily of benefit to ag-
ricultural producers as well as to all
the people.
The beef trust is assailed in cisdus-
sion of the free listing of fresh meats
end meat products. THE existing ou-
les on meats and meat products It is
asserted, 'aTe for the advantage Of this
combination only"-a combination that
controls the markets bob in buying
and selling, and he result is a substan-
and selling, and he result is a substan-
from which the people suffer" Remove
al of duties on these products. it is ar
g,Ied, will place the farmers in free
market as to foodstuffs and food pro-
ducts For the reason that the public
be maintained to protect abnormally
high prices on food articles in any
form"
The bill also seeks exemption from
duty on wheat -four, semolina, rye -four.
buckwheat flour. corn meal and all pre-
pared cereal foods. biscuits. bread and
similar articles not sweetened.
In discussing free lumber placed in
the bill, hard wood excepted. the report
maintains that the ownership of timber
in this country has become practically
a monopoly and has passed for the
most part into the hands of great cor
porations and interests which are specu-
lating on the increasing scarcity
President Taft is again referred to. the
report quoting from his speech of Febrr-
airy IS, 1911, in which he said: by g1v-
ing our own people access TO Canadian
forests we shall reduce the consumption
of our own, which. in the hands of a
comparatively few owners now have a
value that requires the enlargement of
our available timber resources
Sewing machines, the report AYERS. are
sold abroad by American manufacture
ers cheaper than at home and should not =
be protected.
The manufacturers would have by the
nroposed hill the Additional advanto % ~