The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1913-10-01
START y.t LAST .
LAP OF TARIFF
Congress H}peS TO Send Bill
to President This Week
LITTLE TROUBLE IN ITS PATH
Currency Proposition Likely to Cause
Considerable Discussion This Week
In CONVERSATIONAL Senators BaIky

In Congress-Several Senators balky
Washington, Sept. 30.-When the
customs houses of the country open
for business on next Monday the new
tariff law will likely be in force. Presi
dent Wilson will have the bill in his
hands on Friday OF this week, so the
Democratic leaders plan, and will prob
ably sign it on Saturday. The house
will pass the measure today and the
senate tomorrow if plans go through
satisfactorily and there is little danger
OF a breakdown.
The bill about to become a law il
v~ariously described. Regular Re
publicans denounce it as a free trade
measure and profess to fear that II
will depress the industries of the coun
try. Progressive Republicans find
many good features in the bill. The
Democrats see the measure as a tarifl
for revenue. Senator La Toilette holds
that the bill is mildly protective"
The average ad valorem rate of the
present bill is very much lower than
that of the Wilson-Gorman act. The
average rate of the latter was 39.45
per cent while the estimated rate OF
the present bill ranges from q to rs
per cent. The average for the pres
ent Payne-A!drich law is 40.12 pei
cent.
Mr.. Wilson will sign the new tariff
bill under most favorable conditions
At the close of the long fight he finds
himself personally triumphant and at
the same time in the closest accord
with the party leaders. The bill has
come through with a loss of but two
Democratic votes and they were cast
chiefly on account of local reasons.
The men who made the new tariff
law, spurred on by the president
worked from the beginning on a dis
tinct plan to reduce the high cost OF
living. They reduced duties on
practically all of the articles that
enter into the necessities of life, OF
the products Of the farm as well as
upon manufactured products.
They sought consistently to shift
the burden of taxation as far as pos
sible upon the Injuries and those who
are better able to pay. They have
tried to free list raw material
wherever it could be done without
working a hardship and in that way
compensate the American manufacture
er for his losses due to the reduced
duties on the things he produces.
With an addition to the revenues
annually of $50, 900, 900, as is estimated
by the treasury experts, from the op'
Grafton of the income tax the Demo
cratic leaders found it possible to
make much greater reduction in duties
than would otherwise have been pos.
sible.
The senate made 676 amendments
in the house bill and of this number
the house conferees accepted APT alb
solutely and 81 more with modifca.
tions, leaving only Isl from which the
senate receded.
The general trend OF the senate
amendments was in the direction OF
reduced duties. Expressed in percent
& the senate bill when reported re-
duced duties 27.64 below the existing
law and 4.22 per cen below the house
bill as 1t had come to the senate. The
result of the conference report has
been a slight increase Of the ad
valorem rate of duty carried by the
bill, but the net result is below the
average ad valorem rate Of the house
bill.
The most important features Of the
new bill are those which relate to the
free listing of wool and of sugar. But
for the strong insistence of President
Wilson it is likely that the senate
would have restored a revenue duty
to both wool and sugar. Raw wool will
go on the free list Dec. l and sugar
will be free after May /, 1916.
y
Lively Currency Debate Expected.
This week is likely to see important
developments in regard to the banking
and currency bill.
The administrations advisers are
beginning to show signs of Impotence
over the disposition on the part Of
some Democratic senators to delay
action on this measure and the presi-
dent before many days will take steps
to bring about a showdown with these
legislators.
The members OF the senate COM
mittee who are standing in the way OF
hasty consideration are: Hitchcock of
Nebraska, O'Gorman of New York and
Reed of Missouri. Should they vote
with Republican members OF the com.
on any amendment suggested
they could control the situation.