The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-09-28
Mr.. uNDERWO0D's SUMMARY.
What Congress Has Done and Tried
to Do, According to the Demo
cratic House Leader.

In an open letter published by the
New York World Oh August 25, Con-
gressman Oscar W.. Underwood of
Alabama, Democratic floor leader in
the house Of L representatives made
the following statement of the work
essayed and accomplished by the low
er branch of congress since it came
under Democratic control:
"The house passed bills at the re-
cent session which would have saved
the people of this country approxi-
mately $3.50, 900, 600 annually if they
had become laws. The farmers
free list bill, which passed the
house. would have saved the country
$3.50, 100000 annually The first arti-
seles placed on theIfree list by this
bill were agricultural implements.
Our production af agricultural i'm
p1ements amount over S S 900 s00e
annually our Imports are less than az
s160 900 and our exports during the
last fiscal year were nearly S36, ,000,-
GOO. The bill placed sewing machines
on the free list, meeting the re
quirements of the poor seamstress.
The measure met the wishes Of the
farmers with free agricultural i'm
rlements and free fence wire; the
cotton grower with free bagging and
ties; the builder with free lumber,
lathes and shingles; the great mass
#es Of city folk, pressed for food and
clothing, with free meats, free leather
and shoes and free salt.
ssThe cotton bill reduced the duties
on cotton manufacture from 1912 per
rent to 27.06 per cent, a reduction
of the burdens under this schedule
from not less than s2O0,000,000 to
about 2,000, 600 for year, or a
saving of about s88,0o0,0O0 for q
twelve month period. To Illustrate
the effectiveness of the revision
sought by this bill, mems cotton half
hose, valued at eighty cents per doz-
en- pairs wholesale, are taxed under
the present law at the equivalent ad
yalorem rate Of about 80 per cent.
The Democratic cotton bill proposed
to reduce this to 40 per cent.
4It proposed to reduce the tax on
cotton thread from an equivalent rate
of "a per cent to Is per cent. 4
suit of ready-made clothing valued at
the foreign port at Sc is taxed IN,
der our present law SO per cent ad
valorem, or So a suit. The Demo
cratic bill proposed to reduce this
tax to 80 per cent and save the con
sumer s1.20 per suit.
TT has enacted a law establishing .
children's bureau. 1t has passed q
bill to protect American trade and
American shipping from foreign mon
opolies.
"It has passed a bill creating
department of labor, making it's head
member of the Presidents cabinet
"It has made liberal special appro
priations amounting to s1,500,00o fol
relief work in flooded districts of the
Mississippi river. Ordinarily, the an
rual river and harbor bill carries
from s3, 600 900 to $4,o00,000 for the
improvements to that river, whereas
the amount this year is $e,000,00o
including the flood emergency sums.
.It has in the passage Of supply
bills worked out great economies II
national export.
1t mas MADE aH excellent IsGo3s
ID its endeavors to revise the tarif
downward to revenue basis. llav
| :ng passed measures thus affecting
the Schedules OF most vital naonasnl
to. the people, namely wool, cotton
metal, chemicals, sugar and IN ths
farmers free list bin placed neces
sary food products on the free list. s.
1T has passed 8 bill providing fol
an excise tax on incomes, therebs,
transferring considerable portion
| of the tax burdens TO the wealthy
who are escaping their proportion
Tt has under ne & ma other meas
uress of great general ana local IN
portance, incl ing that providing 81 B
/ parcels post: government aid v
p,.fsIIe high and post roads; s'
vision of patent Laws aIld
| sound system of easier agricsllaara
To Keep read gI'lls
f9s