The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1912-03-21
UNDERWOOD ASKS
CONGRESS TO PASS
WOOL REVISION BILL
Speaker Introduces Old
Measure and Plays Good
Politics. .

Surprising everybody except the DEM
ocratic members on the Ways and
Means Committee, Congressman Under
wood, chairman of the committee, intro
duced in the House a bill reviving the
wool schedule of the Payne tariff law
The bill Is identical with the Demo-
cratic measure which passed the House
last session. 1t provides a 20 per cent
ad Valorem duty on raw wool, and an
average reduction of AZ per cent on the
various manufactured wool.
Congressman Underwood simply re-
produced the Democratic bill of June q,
1911 The bill was agreed upon by the
Democratic members of the committee
at an unexpected meeting today, and
the House leaders do not recall a caucus
on the measure.
The fact that there will be no caucus
eliminates the possibility of any troub-
lous objection of the free wool Demo-
Gratis of the House.
The action of the Democrats today
indicates that the wool bill will go
through the House In short order, and
that 1t will be accepted in amended form
by the Senate this session. This will
again put the bill up to the President.
and he will have to veto the measure
or renege on his veto stand of last
session.
The Democrats practically disregarded
the report of the tariff board on the
wool schedule. After he had reintro-
duced che House bill of last session,
Chairman Underwood said today
Underwood's Attitude.
We have examined the report of the
tariff board, and have found nothing
that makes it necessary for us to
change the bill which passed the House
last year"
Republican members of the Ways and
Means Committee will introduce a bill
as substitute for the Democratic
measure, holding that the report of the
tariff board does not justify the sweep
Ing Democratic reductions in schedule
The bill introduced by Mr. Under
wood today differs principally from
the bi II vetoed last year by the Presi-
dent in the duty on raw wool. The
House originally stood for a duty Of
20 per cent ad valorum on raw wool.
In the conference between the Senate
and House the rate was raised to "9
per cent and this rate finally pre-
vailed.
features of wool were also slightly
faistd in order to gain the support
of the Ssnate insurgents.
The House, however, is best pleased
with its original wool measure and
the bill introduced by Mr.. Underwood
today is identical in terms and rates
with the wool bill of June II, 1911,
when the WAYS and Means Commit
tee hrst reported measure for the
revision of Schedule X of the Payne
law.
Other rates carried in the bill pro-
posed today, and which were carried in
the old bill are as follows, ad volorem ::
Combed woods, % per cent; yarns,
wholly or in part of wool, so per cent
cloths, knit fabrics, fets not woven and
manufactured of wool, 40 per cent:
blankets and fannels. valued above 50
and childrens dress goods, 45 per cent
ready made clothing, IS per cent: web
bings, binds, boltings. braids, 80 per
cent; carpets, 40 30 and 30 per cent, ac-
cording to grade.
Skillful Politics.
The Democrats are believed to he
playing skillfu politics in the introduce
= ton of the same wool bill which passed
the House last session. This bill was
accepted by the Senate after amend
ment, and the prospects are that the
bill will again go through both houses
If this plan materializes it will once
more put President Taft in hole, this
time on the eve of national cam
paiSn. If the President vetoes the wool
bill the veto will become the Demo-
cratic battle cry in the campaign If
the President signs the bill the Dem
ocrats will make campaign thunder of
the fact that he might have signed it
year ago.
The impression in the House, however,
is that in order to be consistent Presi-
dent Taft will again veto the vol bill,
which is almost certain to be sent to
him regardless of whether the Senate
accepts any other tariff revision mea-
sure