The Washington times., 1913-03-19
CONSERVATIVES WIN
IN TARIFF FIGHT
Ways and Means Committee
Meets Tuesday to Hear Re-
port of StatistiCians.

With the conservatives in control, the
WAYS and Means Committee has finally
completed the tariff bill and will meet
Tuesday next TO hear the statement o.
expert statisticians as TO the amount OF
revenue which will be raised under the
Democratic measure. The committee
then will determine what amount OF
rssSnue must come through the levy OF
an income tax and the income tax rates
will be fixed accordingly.
The final vote on the controverted Sec
tions of the tariff bill was taken yester-
day afternoon and the extreme revisic n
lists were routed. The radicals will take
their fight into the caucus. On the
showdown the Underwood faction in the
committee stayed in the saddle.
Motions TO put raw wool on the free
list and to make merciless slashes at
the cotton and metal schedules are said
to have been defeated by close vote
in committee Chairman Underwood
acted as pacificator throughout and in
appealing to the caucus the radicals IN
tend no affront to the chairman of the
committee.
Led Fight for Deeper Cuts.
The extreme revisionists, however. are
convinced that in many instances the
reductions have not been sufficiently
drastic. Congressman Rainey and Har-
rison are understood TO have led tie
fight i'm committee for deeper cuts.
The fight III committee was in effect
a conflict between the near free traoe
and the tariff for revenue Democrats.
Chairman Underwood was aligned with
the latter class, which ultimately won
Mr. Underwood is said to have voted
first with one side and then with the
other in the hope of reaching real
however, were defeated on so many
items that an appeal to the caucus was
decided upon.
The free trade element is understood
to have insisted upon bill which wouid
Mace on the free list all articles SOLO
By a monopoly cheaper abroad than al
home This contention applied specln, !,
caIly to items in the steel schedule ano
its rejection by the Ways and Means
Committee, together with defeat OF
the BRYAN plan for free raw wool, Is
asserted to have been the turning poin'
in the committees deliberations. II Is
believed that the conservatives VIII
dominate the caucus, however. as theS
dominated the Ways and Means COM
mittee.
Bills Are About the Same.
The Democratic bills affecting th'
wool. cotton, steel and chemical sched
ules are said to be substantially III
same as those which passed the Hous
year ago. In a feN instances tn
rates have been lowered, but the revise'
bills are still unsatisfactory to the fre
traders on the Ways and Means Com
mfttee, and the caucus will be calle'
upon to take sides as between the Ex
tremists and Cnderwoodites.
Members of the committee closei
guard the actual rates carried In tn
perfected bill, but it is known tha
Chairman Underwood did not lose con
troll of the committee and that tn
free list is not as comprehensive as de
sired by the -Rainey factor
The free list is understood to embrac
sugar lumber, shoes, variety of agri
cultural implements and farm products
but this did not satisfy the free ray
wool members and other types of FIRE
Traders A duty of Is to 20 per cen
ad valorem on raw wool, with corre
spending cuts on wool manufactures
seems assured.
The rates agreed upon are asserted [
be tentative but to practical purpose
they are final. The committee wi
make no material changes unless tn
forthcoming statement of the expert
indicates that the revision has been 8
sweeping that the income tax will nc
meet the deficit In the revenues.