River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-10-09
WASHINGTON LETTER
FROM JAMES A. FREAR, MEMBER OF
CONGRESS-, 10th DISTRICT

Congress has passed the new
tariff bill and it is now law. Wheth-
er it will bring good or bad is mat
ter of speculation, for no man
knows. Our Democratic friends
prophesy greater prosperity and re-
duced cost of living. Members of
both of the other parties represent
ed in Congress are practically
unit in arriving at a contrary judg-
ment. AS stated in one of my first
letters sent to the papers of the
District, tariff law is an economic
measure that should be removed
from politics, and framed schedule
by schedule based on findings by
tariff experts. Any other system is
sure to be Disappointing. Attempts
to legislate on over 1000 items of
imports, without scientific know
ledge of surrounding facts, invites
gross injustice and in the last an
alysis becomes the height of folly
because after six months study of
the subject, no member in either
House can intelligently determine
the effect on the country of this
new law. This method of legis-
lation gropes after an equitable
adjustment of rates, necessarily
confronted at every angle by con-
ficting political and business inter
ests arising in every district and
state in the country. The new law
which admittedly favors the South
and free lists the products of North
crn farmers, is an example of pres
ent unjust methods of enacting
tariff laws.
Compared with the Underwood
bill the new law has been improved
by the 676 amendments urged by
the Senate, iVe-sixthS of them
being accepted; yet the reduction
in tariff rates is greater than in the
Underwood bill. Average rates
are misleading because of the low
rates of the Wilson German bill
that wrecked the Cleveland Admin
istration were 39.45 per cent while
the much abused high rates of the
Payne-Aldrich bill were about 40
per cent-less than one percent
difference between them. The I'm
derwood bill cuts the average rates
to % percent and the conference re-
port, now the law, further reduces
the rates to less than 81 percent or
lower than any other tariff law ever
before passed. In other words, &C.
cording to tariff experts, the so
called free trade Wilson bill of 1894
was about so percent higher than
the new law.
1t is generally understood that
the Government must raise part of
its revenue for support through a
tariff on imports, but a reduction of
$50, 900, 900 was made possible this
year by estimated receipts from the
tax on incomes authorized by the
states this present year. The new
tariff law in determining where that
reduction should be placed. puts
practically all farm products on the
free list and in addition gives a
reduction of $50, 100000 in sugar
revenues. A drastic cut was also
made in the high wooden schedule
which condemned the Payne-Ald-
rich law of 1909, and to a large
extent determined the defeat OF
President Taft.
| have briefly tried to fairly give
the general policy wrought out by
the new tariff law. On the floor
hundreds of speeches were made
attacking unjust Determinations
unfair reductions, the exemption o.
thousands of deputy collectors from
civil service, competition with chile
labor goods and other provision:
affected by the new law. AS stated
before, all amendments were reject
ed on the floor and differences be
tween Democratic members were
thrashed out in secret caucus, anc
that caucus was all powerful.
The Underwood bill did not re
ceive any Republican votes in tn,
House and only one vote on tn,
conference bill. Three Progressiv,