The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-26
DEMOCRATS WILL
FRAME THEIR own
WOOL TARIFF BILL
Both Parties Determined to
Make Tariff Issue in the
Next Campaign
DEMOCRATS WILL IGNORE
TARIFF BOARD F,GU[ES

VIII Construct Bill Fur Revenue On
ly While Republicans will Seek to
Adjust Present Rates Without Do.
stroying Protective Principle.
Warrington. Dec. 26-Representa-
tive Underwood. as spokesman for the
Democrats of the house, has accepted
the challenge of the Republican men,
bers of the ways and means commit
tee who announced their intention Of
combating the wool tariff bill with a
measure OF their own on the same
subject. thus making the campaign is
sue OF next year straight out ques.
tion Of protective tariff against rev.
enue only policy.
Both parties say the rates Of their
respective bills will be based largely
upon the difference In cost of produc-
tton at home and abroad. Tie Re.
publicans will accept absolutely the
figures on this feature that are pre-
sented in the tariff boards report. The
Democrats will make use Of the figures
but they will give preference to figures
which they have gathered themselves
where discrepancies arise.
I'VE intend to frame tariff bill bas-
ed on the difference in cost at home
and abroad and we are willing to take
the tariff boards figures SO far as they
may be correct, in our tariff making 1t
said Mr. Underwood yesterday: "Ours
will be tariff for revenue, based on
this principle. Republican protection
means tariff with profits thrown in
which makes the rates in many casee
prohibitory. as admitted in the presi-
dents message and the tariff board q
report.
Il regard the tariff issue as para
mount in this country today and We
shall undertake in the next few months
q revision of all the principal schedules
The tariff developments in the last
few days on capitol hill have made
an interesting situation. With the Re-
publtcans coming out for revision
downward of the wool and woolen
schedules. both parties are nov pledg.
ed to that policy. The question is
how far down will the rates be GU,
and. In the end. what will be the diff.
ference as shown by the rates in the
two bills, between a protective polio,
and the revenue-only policy.
Mr.. Taft Backing Party
The president is to cooperate with
the Republicans of the house and
senate in making substitute bill foi
the Democratic wool bill and it Ii
probable that he will veto any meas.
! ure of the Democrats If it does not
carry sufficient protection. according tc
the Republican viewpoint.
The opening battle probably vii,
center on schedule x. long regarded a.
the citadel Of protection. Mr.. Under.
wood said Yesterday that the ways and
means fnnojffaa c<o or<
work on this schedule.
In addition to wool. the Democra tic
house intends to revise the chemicals
iron and steel and metal schedules
The tariff board has furnished a mass
of data on the wool schedule and will
follow about January is. with re.
port on cotton. These reports will be
interesting sidelights on the general
tariff controversy.
Republican members of the ways
and means committee contend that the
tariff board report iustifies a protec.
tive tariff, even though it recommends
material reductions In the Payne law
rates.
Positions of Insurgents
The insurgents Of the house will re.
fuse to stand by their Republican
colleagues unless they propose bill
that really makes reductions, espe.
cially In schedule K.
The insurgents have no representa-.
ton on the ways and means committee
SO they will remain quiet until both
bills are presented to the house. II
the Payne substitute approximates the
rates In the present law and the Re.
publican leaders insist on but a slight
lowering of the rates, the insurgents
will vote with the Democrats as the,
did last session. If the Payne substi.
tute proposes real reductions. the in.
surgents will stand with the party, SC
as to present united front to the
country in the campaign of 1912.
There Is no insurgency on the Demo.
cratic side of the house. The Demo.
cratic rank and file will stand solidly
behind any bill presented by the ma.
jority of the ways and means commit.
Democrats personally favor free raw
wool.
Representatives of the interests af-
fected by the tariff are beginning to
flock to Washington and naturally the
wool men arc first to arrive on the
scene. In statement given out here
by s. w. Mcclure, secretary of the
National Wool Growers association. II
Is made known that that organization
schedule K proposed by the tariff
board. In fact the wool growers as
sociation will tight for higher rates on
raw wool than those that are deemed
to be equitable by the tariff board. Sec.
retary Mcclure points out that the
tariff board in estimating cost produc-
tion here and abroad. failed to take
into account interest charged on the
investments In the property involved.
He makes q comparison Of interest
charges in this country and Australia
which is q big producer Of wool.
Speaks For Wool Growers
Secretary McClure's statement. in
part. is as follows:
1.-THE full report Of the tariff board
is not yet published but a synopsis
covering the most important parts has
been printed. This shows the cost Of
wool production in the west to be not
less than eleven cents a pound. In
arriving at the cost the board very
clearly states that charge for inter-
est on investment has not been in
cluded. either in the cost Of producing
domestic or foreign wool. The report,
however. shows that the average In
terest charge in the west is ten per
cent while in Australia It is but 6ve
per cent. Now. in order to determine
what a pound of wool Is actually cost
Ing the western wool grower. interest
not only on the sheep. but on tho
Natural Water /