The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-03-30
DEMOCRATIC WAYS AND MEANS
COMMITTEE MEMBERS HOLD
THEORY "UNTENAHLE."
STATISTICS UNRELIABLE
Conclusions Warrant No Change In
Rates Proposed in the Present
BiII.-Other News Of
Congress.

on the wool schedule proceeded upon
an entirely erroneous theory and that
its report was ''untenable" is the con-
clusion of the Democratic members of
the ways and means committee of the
house as set forth in a report prepared
by Representative Oscar W. Under.
wood. chairman OF the committee, In
connection with the reintroduction of
the wool bill placing a 20 per cent i'd
/ valorem duty on raw wool
Summarizing the conclusion of the
committee, Chairman Underwood
says:
The theory of applying tariff du-
ties according to the di Terence in the
cost OF production in this and in for
eign countries. upon which the board
has projected and prepared its report,
Is entirely erroneous and untenable
No Reasons for Changing Bill.
| $50 far as conclusions can be drawn
from the boards report. it furnishes
nothing to justify any change in the
rates proposed in the present bill
| 1T is believed that the rates of this
bill approach very closely. at least,
to the best revenue producing points,
and that rates should, If enacted into
law, permit such quantities of imports
as will effectively regulate domestic
prices. Such competition would be an
important service to the people, as it
would encourage increased consump-
ne"rly normal the conditions of supply
and demand. The report of the tariff
4 b, ard, so far as it admits of conclu-
sions, shows that the rates which
meet the consumers needs also suf-
ficiently satisfy those of the produc-
er.
Pulp and Paper Report.
I'm its report on pulp and paper.
the board found little difference in
money cost OF production between the
United States and Canada in the best
mills, but it did find very great diff
ference in expense of production be-
tween the best and poorest mills in
the United States. The indication
would have been, therefore, that
while protection was not needed by
the best factories in the United States
against Canadian, it was needed by
the poorer factories in the United
States against the better factories in
this country, but not against those in
| Canada.
The committee says, in Justification
OF the bill placing revenue duty Of
20 per cent on raw WOOL
GLASS III wool needs no protection
| ic Il
in the United States.
Glass ii wool needs no protection,
because those of our woods which COM
pete with it are produced at a very
low cost Of production.
Glass I woods need no protection as
indicated by actual figures of sales.
AS shown by estimated cost of pro-
duction the needed duty would not ex-
coed 10 to 20 per cent. A duty of Is
per cent would be considerably in ex-
cess of the requirements of production
in the West that are indicated by tho
figures of the board; while in the
Ohio region the industry is partly, Mt
least, incidental to general farming
and cannot be considered on the com.
petitfve footing"
Inviting the Democrats of the house
to Join them in passing the Republic
an wool bill and make radical re-
duction now instead of preventing a
reduction the Republican members
Of the ways and means committee
also submitted a. report on the minor
ity bill, introduced last week which
would reduce the wool duties about 40
per cent from the rates under the
Payne-AIdrich bill.
Homestead Bill = Passed,
The house passed bill reducing
from five to three years the period of
residence required OIL homestead lands
before patents are issued 1t also per-
mits entrymcn and their families dur
ing the period to be absent from their
homesteads five months in each year:
The legislation has been before con-
gress for several years.
May Repeal Trade Law.
favorable report on the bill to re-
peal the Canadian reciprocity law ex-
cepting section 2, relating to wood
pulp and print paper, was authorized
by the senate committee on finance.
The law was rendered imperative
save as to the paper schedule by Can
ada's rejection of the reciprocity
agreement which the law was to en-
force.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Steen-
erson introduced a bill which sacks
to prevent the federal courts from
taking jurisdiction in cases where the
sum involved is less than $4,000 in.
stead of $4,000, as at present, and
which will deny defendant corpora
tons the right to remove suits brought
against them from the county in
which process is served or where the
cause of the action arose. Mr.. Steen-
erson's measure is aimed principally
at railroads, lumber and other cor.
polations composed principally or en-.
tIrely of Minnesota men, but incorpor.
ated under the laws OF Wisconsin.