The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-27
DESIRE TO ARM THE
PRESIDENT WITH A
TARIFF BIG STICK"
Would GivePresident Power
to Enforce Counter
vailing Rates
WOULD BE DEFENSE
FOR u. S. COMMERCE
Strong Opposition to Idea Develops
Among Observation-Disclosures for
Sugar Amendment
Renewed
THE DAY IN CONGRESS.


SENATE: Met 2 p. m.
Passed the Newlands bill to amend
the Erdman act and create a special
board to arbitrate disputes between
railroads and their employees
Adjourned at 6:34 p. IN. until noon
tomorrow.
HOUSE: Met at noon.
Judiciary committee failed to get
quorum to act on Kahn resolution
for investigation of Caminetti case
and will meet tomorrow.
Public lands committee continued
hearings on Hetch- Hetchy California
water project.
Adjourned at 5:45 until noon tomor-
row.
Washington, June 20 Urgent desire to
arm the President with a tariff "big
stick" one of stronger and greater pro-
portions than provided in the amendment
suggested by the finance committee ma
5ority, developed today in the democratic
caucus of the Senate on the tariff bill.
Discussion of the proposed countervail-
ing duty on wheat and flour, which the
committee recommended, led to general
debate on retaliatory and countervailing
tariff rates and Senator Hoke Smith of
Georgia urgently proposed the adoption
of an amendment that would give the
President power to enforce countervailing
tariff rates on all commodities of COM
merce against any nation refusing to
deal with the United States on recip-
rocal tariff basis.
The amendment propose would, In
many respects, take the place of the
maximum and minimum clause of the
Payne-Aldrich tariff law, but Senator
Smith advocated a provision that would
be broader than that-one that would
give the President the authority at any
time to interpose against any nation
which might discriminate against the
products of the United States the same
tariff rates exacted on american goods.
Such clause in the tariff bill, it was
argued;r would place the United States
In a position to defend the country
against any unreciprocal action or at
tempt to shut off it's foreign trade.
Spirited Discussion
Discussion of the proposal was spirited,
strong opposition developing at once.
Among the senator's who attacked the idea
were O'Gorman Reed and MARITIME. De-
Late was waxing warm when the caucus
was forced to recess for the afternoon
session of the Senate and it was
sumed tonight. The amendment recon-
mended by the committee is not coun-
tervailing proposition in the strict sense,
providing only that the President should
proclaim certain fixed rates against for
eign nations on limited number of speci-
fed commodities in cases of discrimina-
tion against this country This, Senator
Smith and others did not regard as COM
prehensive enough.
After the battle over free sugar and
free wool had been won yesterday by
the administration forces, senators OPP
posed to the schedules approved renewed
their activities for an amendment which
would extend the time when the sugar
and wool schedules are to become effec-
tive after the passage of the act Sem
ator Ransdell has an amendment to ex-
tend the date of the sugar schedule un-
til February l, 1914, permitting sugar
planters and refiners to get rid of this
years crop without the burden of the
decreased tariff. This has been referred
to the majority of the finance committee
for consideration.
Will Ask Amendment
The committee will recommend some
form of amendment later to the caucus.
Other suggestions propose to suspend the
operation of the sugar duties for three
months after the passage of the bill and
that the rates on manufactures of wool
be made effective 80 days and the free
raw wool provision 60 days after en-
actment of the law