New-York tribune., 1912-04-29
SENATE TO TALK TARIFF
Republicans will Oppose Action
Till Board Reports.
NO CHANCE FOR WOOL BILL
Discussion Likely to Prove Futile
Except to Supply Campaign
Material.
( From The rrlhune Rure.u. !


Washington. April S.-Debate on the
tariff. the duration OF which cannot be
toretold. will begin I'm the Senate during
the present week.
Senator Simmons. ranking Democratic
member OF the Committee on Finance, In
the absence Of Senator Bailey. will act as
pilot for the Democratic bill revising the
metal schedule. Senator Cummins VIII
head the somewhat dcmoralized insurgent
forces. introducing = substitute measure
for the Democratic bill. The regular Re-
publicans will constitute the opposition.
having already reported the House bill ad-
versely and recommended that no action
be taken until the Tariff Board makes a
report.
on this the eve OF the opening Of the
tariff discussion. there II no evidence that
either Democrats. regular Republicans or
insurgents Will enter upon this particular
phase Of campaign medicine making with
any degree OF enthusiasm The Cummins
substitute will be- introduced tomorrow or
Tuesday. Senator Cummins probably will
lead of with "a speech on his measure, and
Senator Simmons will speak for the Demo
cratc bill. These speeches however, will
be merely n matter OF form, as ii Is gen
orally known that the Democrats lave no
LOpe Of passing the House bill. and that
Senator Simmons and Senator Cu!nmns
the one q Democrat and tn" other "A Re
publican. have practically joined efforts in
the framing Of the Cummins measure.
which is 10 receive the support Of the com
bined insuIeent and Democratic vote when
the House bin Is rejected.
The Cummins measure Is not radically
different from the Underwood bill AZ passed
by the House. except that II fixes specific
instead OF al valorem rates of duty and
makes material reduction from the pres
cnt tarifT law on structural steel and rails
The Democrats have shown no disposi-
ton TO fight for the House measure nor to
accentuate the tariff issue. which is dear
to the heart ~ Mr.. Underwood II Senator
SimmoHs's word Is TO bee taken. there Will
b. no strenuous effort 10 press the discus
sion Of the tariff. At the outset few Sena-
tors are prepared To speak. and, II the pres
ent attitude Is maintained. It IL probable
that the debate Will drag along for weeks
before any decisive action is taken. In the
end IL will probably be "a repetition of that
taken during the closing days Of the last
session Of Congress. when the Democratic
Insurgent alliance passed bills to no avail
until IL collapsed through the strategy of
the regular Republicans
The tariff debate probably will be more
or less perfunctory with respect To the
chemical and metal schedules. The alliance
may pass "a chemical bill. II is certain that
II will not pass "A free sugar bill. and doubt
ful whether II will hold together on any
kind of sugar bill The issue presented by
the wool bill will be more productive Of 4
real fight
Senate Republicans are not disposed to
accept the wool bin framed by Representa-
tive lIill and presented I'm the House by the
minority members OF the House Ways and
Means Committee Discussion that has
been going on ON the Senat" side for the
last two weeks indicates rather that the
regular Republicans are at odds over the
wool bin. and there is much doubt whether
one can be drawn which VIII meet with
general approval. But thef" VIII be no
lack of Republican wool bills for all that.
senator Cummlns has been giving his at
t.ution 10 the subject within the last two
weeks also and will offer a wool bill as n
substitute for the Underwood bill, unless
Senator la Toilette. who has priority
Of claim upon the insurgent leadership OF
tariff revision. should find 1t convenient To
give up his campaign and return To the
senate before the subject is taken mp. In
that event the Wisconsin Senator will prob
ably offcr wool bill.
Whether the regular Republicans agree
or not. Senator Smoot will probably oner
n bill as straight Republican measure
based on the report OF the Tariff Board.
senator Smoot is OF the opiaon that the
House Republican bill does not meet
tbis last REQUIREMENT. All of these bilIs
will represent material reduction IN the
wool schedule The points Of contention
among the Republicans at the present
time are the rates Il he placed upon the
various classificafions, such as tops ana
secured or washed wool.
The present outlook for revision OF the
wool schedule. the only one outside the
cotton schedule upon which the Tarln
Board has made report. is that nothihg
VIII be accomplished which may meet
with Executive approval Most Senator'S
as "A matter of fact, would prefer To have
no tarn discussion at all, inasmu"h as II j.
likely To- be futile. except in 80 fer as IL
may supply campaign material