The Washington herald., 1911-12-23

President Taft and the Republican lead
ers in/Congress will work in harmony
on the tariff at this session. With the
approval of the President, substitute bills
will be offered by the Republicans for
all the Democratic measures reported by
Representative Oscar w. Underwood,
chairman of the Committee on Ways
and Means. Present indications are that
the insurgents will join with the regu-
lars in the fight to be made by the House
minority to maintain the protective prin-
ciple in all measures brought up at
this session dealing with customs reve-
nues.
1t is already apparent that the Demo-
Gratis plan to push the tariff as an issue
In the national campaign of 1912. The
programme of the Republicans will be
framed with this idea in view. The Pres
the Republican leaders who will be
charged with. the duty of framing the
minority tariff bills. In fact it is the
understanding that the terms OF such
measures will be submitted to the PresI-
dent before they are presented to the
House.
Follow Tariff Board.
So far as Schedule K-the wool schedule
10 NOiiNSi ISh lIc I1OuSe hepuDIlCdnS
will draft their bill along the lines of the
report of the tariff board. They share
the faith in the conclusions of the board
entertained by the President, pointing
out that the report was subscribed to by
two Democrats and three Republicans
and represents in sense a nonpartisan
conclusion. The Republicans will pro-
pose substantial reductions IN the wool
rates without sacrificing the principle of
protection. and their intentions in this
regard meets with the hearty approval
of the administration.
The President is said to hold the be-
lief that the unpopularity OF the existing
tariff law is due to its alleged inequalities
rather than to a waning of faith by the
people in the policy of protection. The
House Republicans make it clear that
they intend to present bills that will cor
rect manifest defects in the statues.
Expect Bitter Fight.
The indications are that the fight over
the tariff in the House at this session
will be bitter. This is Indicated in the
discussions of the past week. 1t is made
plain by Chairman Underwood that the
Democratic members of the Ways and
Means Committee will not give greater
weight to the report of the tariff board
than information coming from other
sources. Emphasis will be laid by the
on the attitude of indiffer-
ence assumed toward the tariff board
report by the Democrats. They will re-
call that Speaker Clark, Representative
Underwood, and other Democratic lead
ers voted for the creation of tariff
board, and that it is not fitting that they
should repudiate the conclusions of a
body that they helped to bring into being
by their votes. Reference to the approval
Of the tariff board idea by the Democratic
leaders is bound to stir up partisan feel
ing. In fact. both Republicans and Demo-
Gratis are looking to rough-and-tumbled de-
bates on the tariff this winter that are
bound to project themselves into the
national campaign of next year.
Republican Members Meet.
The tariff was discussed at a meeting
IF the Republican members of the Ways
and Means Committee held yesterday. |
Special attention was paid to the wool
schedule. A subcommittee, composed of /
Payne, OF New York; |
Mccall, of Massachusetts, and Hill, of
was appointed to draw up
1 tentative bill for consideration by all !
If the Republican committeeman after
he holidays. The experts of the Finance |
Committee. which has Jurisdiction in the !
Senate over revenue legislation, have |
been placed at the disposal of Mr.. Payne !
md his colleagues. They will be directed |
o make an analysis of the tariff board |
eport and report the results at the ear |
lest practicable date. Like work is now |
,eing done by statisticians of the Ways !
md Means Committee for Chairman Tn !
leTwood and his Democratic colleagues. |
Mr.. Underwood said Yesterday that il |
would take at least thirty days to digest !
he report. and for that reason he thinks |
will be impossible to report the Demo-
ratio wool revision bill until some time !
n February.