The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-04-01

TARIFF WAY
The Preliminary Procedure
Now Is Nearly
Completed
QUESTION OF ONE
BILL UNDECIDED
Fifty Per Cent. Cut on the
Market Basket" Is
Planned

Washington, April 1.-The smooth
ing out" process that is to be initiated
this week in preparation for the hand
ling of tariff revision in the extra SEES
sion that opens April is regarded by
congressional leaders as the most I'M
portant step in the programme OF TAR,
iff prelimnaries. While the tariff bill
practically is complete, important de.
velopments hang upon the decisions OF
President Wilson and upon the results
of A full canvass of the Democrats OF
the Senate.
To President Wilson will be lett the
decision whether there shall be one gen.
eral revision bill or separate measures
for each of the different schedules OF
the tariff law. The single bill plan al
ready has aroused sharp opposition IN
the Senate. The free sugar and fifteen
per cent duty on raw wool, put into
the bill by the House committee, will
be the target for attack in the Senate
not only from Republicans but from
Democrats who come from states where
sugar, wooden or wool growing INDUS
tries predominate The extent to which
President Wilson may desire a reduc-
ton of duties on agricultural products,
comprised in the so called market bas'
ket" list, will have a marked influence
upon the support that may be given the
new tariff revision BY progressive Re
publicans in both House and Senate.
The tariff on wheat, barley, oats and
other farm products has been cut about
in half BY the House committee.
If this rate of duty is approved by
President Wilson, it is believed large
body OF progressive Republicans OF the
House will vote for the Democratic bill,
unless other reductions are so extreme
as to make them change the plans now
partially agreed to. The Democratic
bill will not need the additional Pro-
qressive or Republican support in the
House, where the Democratic majority
is large. but Democratic leaders would
welcome the shift of one or two Repub-
lican or Progressive votes in the Senate
to strengthen their narrow majority,
which may be disturbed by contest on
free sugar or upon the wool duty.
President Wilson's tariff message, the
substance of which has been commu-
nicated to leaders of both houses OF
Congress, is understood TO have received
general approval for its brevity and its
absence of comment upon details of the
tariff bills. Within the ten days that
precede the opening of the special ses-
sion it is planned to settle, 50 far as
possible, all of the disputed points, and
to reach general basis of agreement
that will insure speedy action and a
few changes in the tariff bills. The
income tax plan as framed Is expected
by the Democratic leaders OF the House
to successfully run the gauntlet OF both
houses and TO become a part OF the per
manent national revenue system. The
scheme embodies these features:
Exemptions-All incomes under S4,-
600; incomes of eleemosynary institu-
tions, etc.
Rates-Minimum one per cent on 81
900; graduated up to maximum OF
four per cent. on 100000 or more.
Method-E Enforcement OF the "collec-
ton at the source" principle, so as to
obviate personal assessments as much
as possible; collection through corpora :
tons or other employers instead OF di-
rectly from the employees whenever prae-
ticable.
The rates and exemptions are still
subjected to changes, though the figures
are expected to stand. The income fea-
ture was written in its essentials by
Representative Hull of Tennessee, 1t is
designed to bring into the treasury not
far from 100000, 600, including the pres
ent corporation tax of about $S0,00OOOO.
Administration of the British income
tax is said to show that about two
thirds of sl65,000,O00 revenue could be
collected at the source, so that the tax
payers in that proportion of cases new
er saw a revenue official.