The Washington herald., 1913-04-29
MINORITY fires
!. At TARIFfBILL
Payne Of New York, Author Of
Existing Law, Opposes
New Measure.
BULL MOOSE BELLOWS
Victor Murdoch Also Adds Voice of
Opposition to Underwood's
Rates.
BULL MOOSE BELLOWS

General debate on the Underwood tariff
BILL which was reported two weeks ago,
came 10 an end when the House adjourn
ed last night The measure now will go
under the full minute rule. Represent
alive Oscar w. Underwood of Alabama.
who is in charge of the bill, is hopeful
Of putting it through Saturday night.
No amendments will be adopted except
such as are favored or proposed by Mr..
Underwood, but just the same the OPP
position represented by the Republican
and Bull Moose members offer amend
ments for the sole purpose OF keeping
their tariff records safe:
The big guns of the opposition We're
brought into play against the tariff bill
yesterday. Representative Serene E.
Payne, who assisted In the preparation
Of the Dingley law and whose name Is
attached to the tariff that is about to be
displaced by the Democratic bill, joined
with Representative Victor Murdoch of
Kansas. the Bull Moose leader. in de-
pouncing the Underwood bill. Mr.. Muir
docks announcement that he could not
support it occasioned some surprise on
the Democratic side.
Mr.. Payne is one of the few orators
who have spoken on the bill, who was
accorded the honor Of a full House. The
New York member is in his element when
he Is discussing the tariff, and his criti-
cal analysis OF the pending measure was
loudly applauded by the Republicans.
The Payne speech will be accepted as
the basis for all future Republican OPP
position to the bill Mr.. Payne. accord
ing to the Republican viewpoint, de-
molished the competitive theory enunct-
ated by Mr. Underwood. He character
lied as contrary to Republican as well
as Democratic doctrine the provisions OF
the measure that admit manufactured
products duty free while imposing duty
on the raw material.
Living Not Reduced.
Mr. Murdoch declared that the bill was
unscientific in structure, and that there
was no substantial ground for the ex-
pressed belief Of the Democrats that 1t
would reduce the cost of living.
1.-THE profits of the middleman and the
manufacturer have as great bearing
on the cost Of living as the tariff, and
the Democrats are only deceiving them
selves by nursing the hope that relief to
the people in this direction is to be at
tanned through the medium OF this
measure" said Mr.. Murdoch.
This bill will prove failure as rev.
enue producer" asserted Mr.. Payne. He
charged the Democrats with demagogy
in asserting that they had reduced the
rates on necessaries and increased those
on Injuries solely with view to reliev-
irg the strain occasioned by the high
cost of living. Taking up this theme.
Mr. Payne said the Democrats had in
creased the rate on uncut diamonds from
10 to 20 per cent. The higher rate on
diamonds was included in the Wilson
Democratic tariff bill.
During the life of that law" said Mr..
Payne. ''the average value Of the i'm,
portations of uncut diamonds was lit
tie more than $500 600. whereas under the
Dingley and Payne laws. with duty of
10 per cent. the average value was more
than SCI, 100000 Our duty was intended
to raise revenue and 1t was successful
in this regard. BY increasing rates In
this instance you not only cut OF rev.
enue, bat you give an incentive for
smuggling
Bill Revises Downward.
II frankly admit that the Underwood
bill represents revision downward" said
Mr.. Payne II shall not resort to the
perversions Of the opposition four years
ago in reference to the present tariff
law. Some of the greater advances made
in rates in 1909 having been copied
verbatim in the present bill. These rates
We're upon luxuries. The committee has
shown good judgment in accepting them.
1t would appear better if they frankly
acknowledged their source
Discussing the wool schedule, Mr..
Payne said that the rates of the present
law bearing his name are Zoo high. He
knew that four years ago when they
were adopted. He pleaded with his COL
leagues for reductions, but he was out
voted
Il wish to God We had had the report
Of the tariff board on wool in 1909" ex-
claimed Mr.. Payne. THE original I'm
derwood BILL said the Republican tariff
expert, provided for free sugar at once
Since then it has been juggled around
through various tages until it comes out
by order of the President with a re-
duction of about % per cent Of the duty
for three years. to give the domestic
producers a chance to brace up and
then free sugar Just how producers of
sugar with millions invested in buildings.
improvements, and sugar plantations In
the South. and beet sugar farms and
factories in the North will accommodate
themselves to free sugar at the end of
three years without having their invest
ments wiped out no man has yet seen
fit to explain. 1t looks to a disinterested
observer more like desire on the part
or the trainers or this bill! to hold on
until May, 1916, when the crop will be
fully harvested in the hopes that the
Democratic party will not be utterly de-
stroyed in sugar-producing States in the
Congressional election next year and in
the Presidential election of 1916. The at
tempt would appear to be not to brace
up the people in the sugar industry, but
to brace up the Democratic party.
THE bill is not without its amusing
features. Its farmers evidently think to
fool the average farmer. They put a
duty Of 10 cents bushel on wheat and
put flour on the free list. Yielding to
the pressure of the millers, they seek
to fool them with a fake provision of 10
per cent duty on flour taken from any
country which levies duty on our
-four. No one knows better than the
millers, unless 1t is the members of the |
committee, that Canada would not hest
tate a moment to take on their duty