The Washington herald., 1913-09-20
FREE ART Fight
ISfINALLY WON
Senate Recedes from All Its
Amendments to House
Tariff Bill.
CONFEREES WORK FAST
Good Progress Is Made, but Many
Important Matters Still Remain
to Be Settled.

The battle for free art in the tariff
bill conference was won late yesterday
when the Senate receded from all of its
amendments to the House bill. which will
mean the restoration OF the House pro-
vision relating to art importations. The
remarkable fight made. in the closing
hours of the consideration Of the tartn
bill in the Senate by Senators Root and
Lodge apparently bore fruit. Chairman
Underwood of the House Ways and Means
Committee. backed up by his colleagues
from the House, refused to yield TO the
Senate. The action taken yesterday af-
fects not only the art paragraphs IN the
free list, but also the paragraphs IN the
sundry schedule. So
In the sundry schedule the House had
made dutiable at Is per cent paintings
in oil or water colors, pasteis, pen ana
ink drawings, and sculptures. The senate
increased this duty to % per cent ana
rewrote it to make such products pay
duty of % per cent and restricting tht
paragraph by defining sculptures" and
also ''paintings." In concluding the mat
ter yesterday the conferees returned TO
the House paragraph and the lower duty
Of Is per cent.
EnEraNings Made Free.
But the important fight over free art
involved the restoration to the free list
of engravings and etchings, which was
won by the House conferees, and the res
-toration of the House paragraphs in the
free list and the elimination of certain
restricted conditions imposed by the Sen
ate on private collectors in the matter OF
importation. II was claimed that as a
result of the restrictions imposed by the
Senate, importations by private collectors
would have been hampered.
The House paragra phi permitted the i'm
portation % works Of art except rugs
and carpet. including collections illus
sfrating the progress of the arts, works in
bronze marble, terra Gotta, parian, pot
tery, or porcelain. artistic antiquities
and objects OF art OF ornamental char-
acter or educational value 100 years OLD,
but under regulations to be prescribed
BY the Secretary Of the Treasury As the
conferees settled the matter Yesterday
this House provision will stand as the
law.
- The Senate had struck il out and had
substituted a condition that required
private collector to pay the duties on
sGCh art importations when they were
troUgt in, but permitting him to recover
the duties thus paid, If, within five years
after the importation. he turned such
collections over TO a national institution
o. any State or municipal corporation or
to a religious society, college, or other
public institution esta blished for the en-
couragement OF arts and sciences as it,
permanent property for free exhibition
at least four days in each week.
Rapid Progress Made
The conference committee made marked
progress yesterday, but when they ad,
j"urned late yesterday afternoon there
still remained in dispute between the
Houses nearly twenty important matters
relating to the schedule and free list
Chairman Underwood, of the Ways and
Means Committee, expressed the hope
that by hard work the conferees would
be able to complete all of the rates and
schedules in the bill, and be prepared
when the conference is resumed Monday
t. take up the income tax, administrative
features, and cotton futures tax.
The Senate amendment to the para
graph fixing duties on furs was accepted
yesterday, al was a special amendment
put in by the Senate. putting on the
free list steel engraved forms for bonds
debentures, stock certificates, negotiable
receipts, notes and other securities; and
engraved steel plates. dies, and rolls,
suitsb bic for use in engraving or printing