Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-04-04
THE GREAT TARIFF PROBLEM
President is Now Considering Work Of
Ways and Means Committee.

Ways and Means Committee.
washington, April 2.-President
Wilson was tonight face to face with
the most serious phase OF tariff re-
vision.
With the work Of the house ways
and means committee before him and
the extra session of congress only a
lew days of the president mad pro-
ceeded deep enough into his study or
the tariff bill 70 realize that before
the Democratic caucus met there were
many points upon which he himself
must take a definite stand. 1t was
admitted at the White House that ne
would do so "in day or two"
It was declared also that the presi-
dent had not finally made up his mind
as to whether the tariff should be
revised schedule by schedule, or in
q single bill, whether sugar should be
put on the free list or given rea-
sonable amount Of protection, and
whether the income tax should be by
fiat rate or graduated. These and kim
dred questions the president mas not
yet decided absolutely, but from what
he told his callers today there was
q well-defined impression Of his in
clinations The president leans to-
ward revision by q single bill. He
thinks the income tax question can
only be decided after an agreement
believes that sugar should go on the
free list, but is open to conviction on
that point. The president has been
hearing arguments that people in
Louisiana could readjust their bust-
ness to meet the new conditions i'm
posed by the removal Of the tariff
on sugar.
Would Stand Some Reduction.
But Col. Robert Ewing, national
committeeman from Louisiana, has
been presenting the other side Of The
question, and when he left the White
House yesterday he had laid the case
In full before Mr.. Wilson. Following
upon his conference last night with
Mr.. Underwood, the first thing the
president did today was to send for
Col. Ewing. He canvassed the posi-
bility Of getting a common agreement
on the sugar question. The Louis
lana national committeeman told the
president that the business Of the
sugar growers Of his state with mil
destroyed II sugar entered free, but
that they were willing to stand a rs
per cent cut. Mr.. Wilson agreed to.
study the question further.
Tonight the president talked over
the tariff situation with Senator VIII
liam Hughes, Of New Jersey, q MEM
ber Of the new finance committee.
Senator Simmons, chairman of the
committee, sought an appointment
with the president for tomorrow and
will bring with him Senators Stone
and Hoke Smith, also Of the finance
committee, for discussion Of the
tariff bill.
Free Wool Assured.
The concession to President Wilson
and the free wool advocates takes
the place Of the Is per cent duty
which the committee had agreed
upon. This, in turn, was a reduction
from the 20 per cent duty Of the
Democratic wooden revision bill which
passed the house last summer, but
wool agreement, 1t was claimed, by
Democrats tonight, is expected to
bring Secretary of State Bryan into
full acco.'d with the tariff revision
programme. saE
The free wool Democrats have
pressed their fight before President
Wilson in conference in which Rep
resentative Harrison, Of New York,
and Rainey, Of Illinois, both members
Of the ways and means committee,
have been the leading figures. Repre-
sentative Harrison, backed by Mr.
Bryan, made an ardent fight in the
last congress to secure endorsement
Of the free wool policy.
The understanding arrived at today
is that the ways and means COM
mittee will present its bill with the
free wool provision Incorporated
and with an unanimous report from
Its Democratic members, and that the
president will make known his thor
ough accord with It.
Means $40, 600, 900 to Lose,
The reception that may be given
the free wool plan by the senate lead
ers Is still a matter Of conjecture.
President Wilson Is to meet Senator
Simmons, chairman of the finance
committee, and Senators Hoke Smith
and Stone tomorrow night: and 1t
Is expected that the attitude of the
senate will then be made clear.
Under the existing law wool car
ries duty Of approximately IL cents
per pound, or about so per cent, when
figured on the ad valorem basis. It
Is estimated that the abolition Of the
duty will cause loss Of approx
mately $20,000,000 to the present
government revenues; but Democrat
ic tariff leaders claim 1t will bring
about substantial reduction in the
price Of woolen manufactured goods.
This reduction in revenue and the
possible loss Of approximately $685.
100000 Of revenues should sugar be
placed on the free list, would be made
up, the Democrats say, by the income
tax, the details of which probably will
be settled tomorrow by the ways and
means committee. ~