Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-10-08

After being under consideration in
congress for nearly six months the
new tariff bill is a law, and for the
first time in nearly a quarter Of a cen
tury the country has a tariff law orig
mated by the Democratic party. The
bill will doubtless be known as the
Underwood d-Simmons bill, taking the
title from Chairman Underwood Of the
ways and means committee Of the
house and Chairman Simmons Of the
finance committee of the senate.
The sponsors for the bill say that II
will raise ample revenue. Chairman
Simmons has been advised that It will
yield surplus Of at least $16.000000
year above current expenses. II 1t
does not meet the expenses of running
the government the expenses will be
reduced.
One remarkable thing about the pres
ent tarln bill, a precedent, in fact, is
that the senate cut the average rate
of duty carried by the bill below that
fixed by the house. Heretofore In the
making of a tariff bill the house has
slashed the rates, while the senate has
then taken up the bill and readjusted
the rates on higher general average
The house bill carried a general av-
erage rate slightly below 30 per cent
This the senate cut a little over per
cent. The conference committee has
raised the general average duty but
slightly. The average ad valorem duty
carried by the bill as perfected is
about q per cent. The average under
the present law is about 35 per cent
Many Changes Considered.
The conference committee had to
deal with 676 paragraphs on which
there were disagreements Some Of
these involved only the change Of a
word or a question OF punctuation. but
a majority OF them represented diff
ferences in rates and a few were fun.
damental.
The house conferees also accepted
the senate amendment fixing dates
when the wool duties shah go into ef'
feet, which was one Of the final stun.
bling blocks.
Raw wool will so on the free list on
Dec. 1, and the reduced duties car.
ried by the present bill will become ef
fective on Jan. /. The house bill pro
posed to make the wool duties effective
Immediately on the bill being signed
by the president The fnal action was
an important concession to the manu-
facturers.
The senate won over the house alst
on controverted paragraphs in tn,
Rchedule relating to cotton cloths ant
yarns BY this agreement slightly
higher duties are given to certain
eoarser grades Of cotton cloths ant
yarns by changing the classification
Fur hats and frames, forms and 9th
er parts for the manufacture OF sucl
hats received a rate Of 45 per cent
This matter affects the hat industry ii
Connecticut, The house fixed the rat,
sht 40 per cent, the senate made It 40
The silk schedule also was reopened
and the rate on silk partially manufac
tured from cocoons or wastes, not fur
ther advanced In manufacture thai
carded or combed silk, and silk nolls
was reduced from 30 to 20 cents pc
pound,
Tho Metal Schedule.
Probably no single industry covere,
by the tariff bill suffered such reduc
tions In duties as did the iron and stee
industry. The house cut duties IN
sparingly, and then the senate follow
ed by making still further reduction
and increasing the free list,
The house for example, placed
duty OF s per cent on pig iron. spIegel
sen. scrap iron and scrap steel an,
IKE products and made ferro-maganes
dutiable at 10 per cent The senat
tree IlVted both VI them, and the con