Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-05-16
FREE LIST APPROVED.
Republicans Grow Tired Of Trying 70
Amend Tariff Bill.

Republicans Grow Tired Of Trying %
Amend Tariff Bill.
Washington.-The free list of the I'm
derwood tariff bill, with its Democratic
promises of reductions in the cost Of
living, furnished the grist for the legiS-
lative mills Of the House. Through .
monotonous session the Republicans,
wearied by the persistence with which
the Democrats rejected all amendments,
made perfunctory attempts to place ON,
the dutiable list articles the Underwood
bill would admit free. There was little
OF a real struggle about the Republican
Efforts, however, and only a few minor
amendments proposed by the ways and
means committee Democrats were
adopted.
While the House dragged along
through the bill, the Senate finance COM
mittee made its plans for considering
the mill when it shall have passed the
House. 1t was decided not to hold oral
hearings on the various schedules, but
to accept and consider any briefs that
might be submitted by those interested
in the tariff.
In the House, Republicans attacked =
majority of the hundreds of paragraphs
in the lengthy free list. In almost every
instance they argued that admission OF
the various articles free would ruin the
industry, and would not reduce the cost
of living. Majority Leader Underwood
pointed out that this argument was in.
consistent.
in order to ruin these industries"
he said, "as you gentlemen seem bound
to do, it would be necessary to reduce
the price the producers %receice. This
would inevitably result in a reduction
to the consumer"
To eliminate unnecessary debate, Mr..
Underwood, after the free list had been
about one-half completed, made an
agreement to pass the paragraphs which
were not in controversy without debate.
The disputed paragraphs were then
taken mp in order.
Republican opposition conferred about
the paragraphs admitting free Of duty
coal, iron ore and cotton, wool, wheat,
wheat flour, corn, buckwheat, wood
pulp and print paper, meats, lumber,
leather, potatoes, works of art, fish,
steel rails, barbed wire and dairy prod
ucts.
All of the amendments offered were
argued in a more or less p%erfunctory
fashion and the sweltering majority,
forced to remain in their seats in the
hall where the temperature scared.
drowned each succeeding Republican
proposition in a deluge Of %"noes."
An unsuccessful effort was made by
Representative Moore of Pennsylvania
to have Bibles taken from the free list.
He paid tribute to the Scriptures, but
said he saw no reason why Bibles of for
eign manufacture should be admitted
free of duty for sale in this country.
Representative Stevens of Minnesota
wanted harness and saddlery put on the
dutiable list, and Representative Garner
of Massachusetts, and Others sought to
impose duty on boots and shoes. This
brought Representative Peters of Mas
sachusetts to his fleet with a declara-
ton that free boots and shoes would
place the American shoe industry on a
better basis than ever before.
A brief relating to the income tax
provision of the Underwood bill was
filed with the Senate finance committee
by the Investment Brokers' Association
of America. The association favors the
general purpose to collect the tax Mt
the source, but urges that the tax should
follow the general plan of the English
act with respect to interest on corpo.
rate bonds.