The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1913-06-26
A PROVISION FOR
CHANGING TARIFF
PRESIDENT MAY RE GIVEN RIGHT
TO ALTER TARIFF UNDER
CONDITIONS.
70 PREVENT DISCRIMINATION
{ emocratic Senatorial Caucus Begins
Work on Eiil-Administration
Features Are Stricken Out of
the Measure.

Washington. June 21.-An amend
mont to the Underwood tariff bill,
adopted by the majority members of
the senate finance committee, would
give the president of the United
States authority to suspend certain
rates in the proposed law and to pro.
claim special rates against nations
which discriminate against products
of the United States.
The Amendment.
The amendment is appended to the
clause giving the president authority
to negotiate reciprocity agreements
with other nations and in some re-
spects resembles the maximum and
minimum clause of the Payne-Aldrich
tariff law eliminated in the house bill
In substance, the amendment would
provide that when any nation discrim-
mates against the products of the
United States Or imposes restrictions
upon United States exports or does
not, in the opinion of the president,
reciprocate in trade relations, the
president may. by proclamation, sus-
pend certain rates and put in effect
other rates.
Only Specified List.
Only specified articles. it is under
stood, are to be included under the
terms of this amendment and the re-
taliatory rates are specified also.
Among the articles included in the
list upon which the president might
suspend rates are fish, wheat, wheat
flour, coffee. tea, earthenware, wines
leather gloves, jewelry, sugars and
molasses. The duties prescribed vary
as to the different articles.
Fish, it is reported would be duti-
able at one cent pound, wheat at 10
cents bushel. flour at As cents a
barrel, few cents per pound on cof-
fee and tea.
On other items the penalty would
be doubled rate, while on sugars.
which probably never would be af-
| fected, the rate would be only a frac-
ton of cent per pound The amend
ment, of course. is subject to ratifi-
cation of the Democratic senatorial
caucus. which will begin work on the
bill today.
Many Features Changed.
Besides adding this amendment, the
majority members stripped the adj
ministrative provisions of the Under
wood bill Of many of it's new features,
including the inquisitorial clause
which gave American agents the
right to examine foreigners books in
cases of disputed import valuations.
They also struck out the provision re-
quiring registration bureaus for COM
missionaries and agents in American
cOnsulates, the provision to give the
secretary Of the treasury the power
to determine the existence or non-ex-
istence of a foreign market: the anti.
dumping clause which provided excess
duties on imports undersold in this
country and the five per cent tariff
discount on imports in American yes.
se1s
Having thus denuded the admins
trative section of it's proposed reforms
the committee inserted an amend
ment providing for the appointment
of a commission to be composed OF
members of the senate finance and
the house ways and means committee
to make a thorough study of the
whole tariff administration question
and report recommendations for its
reimbursement
The action of the committee strikes
from the bill all the provisions which
aroused protests from foreign nations
The committee now has disposed O
all the schedules and administrative
features of the bill and turned then
over to the caucus.