The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-17
THE AGRICULTURAL
SCHEDULE UPSET BY
SENATE COMMITTEE
Proposal to Strike Out Pro-
vision for COuntervailing
Duty ON Live Stock
and Wheat

Washington, June 16.-The much moot
ed agricultural schedule Of the Under
wood tariff bin was suddenly upset again
by the majority members of the Senate
finance committee late today when a mo-
ton was made to reconsider action taken
earlier in the day approving the free
listing of live stock and wheat subject
to countervailng duty.
The proposal now is to strike out the
provision for a countervailing duty and
leave cattle, sheep and hogs and wheat
on the free list unrestricted. Members
of the committee said tonight that this
probably would be done by the majority.
No reason for the change was announced.
For weeks the equalization of agricul-
tural raw products and finished products,
which We're differentiated in the Under
wood bill, has been a problem for the
democratic senators in which President
Wilson has taken an active interest
Meats on Free List
The House put meats and flour on the
free list. leaving live stock and grains
dutiabe at 10 per cent advalorem and
i0c bushel respectively The Senate
ing the schedule agreed to equalize the
rates and eventually voted to make the
raw material and the finished products all
dutiable. No sooner had this conclusion
been reached than Senator Simmons and
other democratic members of the finance
committee determined that the problem
would not be settled rightly if left that
way. They were of the opinion that all
products which enter into the cost of
living should go on the free list and Pres
ident Wilson agreed with them
Senator Simmons communicated this in
formation to the subcommittee and 1t re-
considered its action, placing all these
products on the free list. Later 1t was
announced that the committee would add
countervailing duty clause which would
make the products free only from conn
tries which did not make them dutiable
from this country. This would operate
against the fre entry of live stock from
such countries as Canada and the Argen-
tine. aist s5 ss
Enlarge Free List
The committee today further enlarged
the free list by voting to take hemp and
ramie from the dutiable Hist The I'm
derwood bill rates on flax We're from 10
IL cents per pound and on hemp and
ramie from 1s to cent per pound. ac-
cording to grade. 1t was argued that
these products should class with ot.,er
products of the farm, and that by free
listing them the cost of living. might he
beneficially affected. Rates on finished
products from these materials were fna.
teriallv. reduced a, - - i+ss.-a
1t aldo was. decided not to consider tho
amendment proposed by Senator Hitch-
cock which wonld provide a graduated
revenue tax on the output of tobacco, This
amendment followed suggestions ma dp nv
Attorney General McReynolds but which
the administration did not see fit TO IN
dorse at this time ~.
Bananas, which have never been s,,b-
jeet to tariff tax, We're put on the dur
able list by action ,of. the Committees,
To encourage American growers was
given as the reason. st
Despite many protests against the cuts
In the citrus fruft rates made IN the
House bill, the Senate com mittee LEFT the
schedule as it was, No change was rnade
in the liquor, sehediile, but it. was left
open for amendment Senator Pomerene
asking to be heard tomorrow on the mat
ter. f.. Fl 40 Fg-7
Another important addition tn tho
free list was made by the senate corr
mittee late tonight when hair Of fbe
angora goat and mohair were shear.5
of the 40 per cent ad yalore,n 5,,tv
proposed in the Underwood hill Irnaa,.
the Payne law angora nairswas y d,,itallo
at 12c a pound, the equivalent Of az so
per cent, ad valorem.
The committee ! coinpleted the xooI
and sugar schedules without any otbe,
material changes. There were e. ftw
minor alterations in rates In manufac-
lures of the wool and the duties on
certain silk yarns were Changed fro,,,
ad valorem to specific.
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