Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-28
Senate Republicans Pass Bill
With Insurgents Aid.
MEASURE A COMPROMISE
If Enacted Will Save Public About
$40, 600, 900 Annually.
RECIPROCITY REPEAL BEATEN
McCumber and Bacon Amendments
to Canadian Law Are Both
Voted Down.

Voted Down.
Republican insurgents in the Senate,
after cooperating for two days with the
democrats to pass wool tariff revision and
excise tax bills. threw their strength
to the republican regulars yesterday and
a republican tariff bill making big cuts in
the tariff duties on sugar was passed by
the Senate. Both the free sugar bill of
the democratic House and the substitute
of the Senate democrats cutting present
rates one-third were defeated.
There are strong hopes that President
Taft will sign the tariff bill passed yes
terday In the upper house of Congress.
But there is no definite assurance 1t will
reach him. as the democratic House may
insist upon reductions which would not
be acceptable to a protective republican
President. This sugar bill is the first
ate since the Payne-Aidrich bill.
Measure Is a Compromise.
The bill that was agreed to by the
Senate is a compromise between the
Lodge regular measure and the Bris-
tow insurgent measure. 1t would abol-
ish the Dutch standard and the 75-
cent reflner's differential and would
cut the present duty on refined sugar
from $40 per hundred pounds to $1.6O
per hundred pounds.
The Lodge bill, which was favored
by the republican regulars. proposed
to leave the rates the same as at pres
ent. but to cut out the Dutch stand
ard and differentials 1t was this
standard and ditferentials. 1t Is claimed,
especially the American Sugar
Refining Company.
The Bristow bill not only proposed
to eliminate the Dutch standard ana
differentials. but a'so to reduce the duty
on sugar to s1.52h. Between the sissy
rates OF the Lodge bill and the $1.52h
rates OF the Bristow. the regulars and
Ins~egents got together on rates Of
s160.
Fraud Provided Against.
The bill that passed also provides that
barrels Of sugar shall be branded to
show the degree OF purity Of the sugar.
providing the sugar is under 90 degrees
test This Is aimed to pre-
vent fraud In the cheaper grades Of un-
colored sugars. which are expected to
come into the American market in
larger quantities because OF the reduc-
ton IN duties.
The effect OF the bill. should 1t become
SJ. 5OO.O0O yearly, 1t Is estimated. and cut
down the annual retail sugar bill Of the
nation $2O.OOOOOO. Sugar tariff experts
last night declared that the reduction in
rates would mean q cut OF about 30 cents
per hundred pounds on the graduated
rrSn an fhaf Aiv1lY1 To-
tables.
The Lodge-Bristow substitute for the
free sugar bill Of the House was adopted
by the Senate by a vote Of 81 to %. All
republicans. the two democratic senators
from the sugar cane state OF Louisiana,
Senator's Thornton and Foster, voted for
the substitute, while all the other dem
ocrats voted against It,
The democratic substitute, cutting sugar
-ates one-third, was defeated by a vote
Up.
When 1t came to the final passage of the
Dill the democrats announced they would
accept the compromise as a step in the
light direction. and republicans and demo-
Gratis united to vote for its passage. The
fnal vote was 81 to 3, the negative votes
being cast by Senators Foster and Thorn
.on of Louisiana. democrats, and Senator
Hepburn, republican.
Reciprocity Repeal Beaten.
There was another fight over an amend
nent to repeal the Canadian reciprocity
Ia ". similar to the one in connection with
the excise bill OF the preceding day.
Senator McCumber proposed an amend
nent 20 repeal the reciprocity bill and
FIX the tariff rates on wood pulp at 81
per ton. Senator Bacon proposed. as an
amendment to the amendment that all
= III
cept that which allows the free importa-
ton of wood pulp and print paper.
Senator Bacon argued that he felt con-
ident that. IL the Senate would accept
his compromise. the House would agree
10 the repeal Of the reciprocity agreement
and therefore his amendment offered a
chance to get the reciprocity law off the
statute books. This argument appealed
to two NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Ciapp and
they voted with Senator
was defeated. 81 to "A.
Then followed the defeat of the entire
reciprocity repeal proposition, by a vote
Of 81 10 81. The democrats generally
voted against its adoption and enough re-
publican insurgents and regulars united
with them to beat II.
Aim for Success Of Bill.
This vote Indicated that many of the
tach to the sugar revision bill any
which night interfere with its
by the House or the Presi-
dent
I'VE now have an opportunity Of get
ting a reduction in duty on one OF the
most important Of American commodi-
ties" declared Senator Bristow. II have
no doubt that II the House accerts this
measure. II VIII meet with the approval
OF the President and become law. IL is
time we were getting some fruits from
our tariff fights. and l believe this means
success and not failure
The action on the sugar bill COM
pletes the tariff program of the Sen
ate so far as present plans are con-
cerned. Should the democrats of the
House now insist on passing a cotton
revision bill IL is probable that will
mean another tariff fight in the Sen
ate. -.
The conferences over the three tariff
bills just passed by the Senate--wool
excise and sugar-will furnish tariff
excitement and news In plenty for the
next few weeks Just what will come
out OF them few members of Congress
attempt to predict With accuracy
Friends of the excise al assert that
the President will s.S1 that measure
unless obnoxious amendments load 4;
down. and the Senate republicans be-
lieye he would sign the sugar bill
passed yesterday by the Senate The
attitude OF the President on wool re-
vision bills is that he Will not sign
of the tariff board on the difference
in the cost Of production at home and
abroad.