The Washington times., 1913-03-25
FINAL FIGHT BEGINS
ON TARIFF MEASURE
Ways and Means Democrats
Seek to Frame Bill Which
President Will O. K.
CONTINUED from First Page.)


in the Senate and House. Western
members are kicking in the face Of ad-
vance tips that nearly all farm products
are to be free listed; they want a NEED
of protection on what the farmer raises,
and the question now confronting the
tariff-tinkerers and Administration Of
ficials is how far the revisionists may
60 without alternating the farmer vote.
Mr.. Wilson. however, evidently be-
lieves in a comprehensive free list for
the benefit of Mr.. Ultimate Consumer.
II Is now generally understood that the
free list will embrace such articles as
lemons, meats, shoes. lumber. sugar,
grain and printing presses.
That in itself is formidable list of
everyday articles. and the free listing
Of lumber and sugar alone will bring a
protest from the States of North Caro-
lima, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, Colo
RADIO, Michigan. and Mississippi. The
free listing Of agricultural products
brings its echo from the middle West.
and these conflicting interests make 1t
almost imperative that a schedule by
schedule revision shall be had II the
WILSON, Underwood tariff bill is to have
plain sailing.
President Shows Interest.
The fact that the President called Mr..
Underwood to the White House indi-
Gates a desire on the part Of the Execu-
tive to assume a part Of the responsible
ity of tariff revision. although II Is not
customary for the White House to take
such active Interest In tariff legislation
In its embryonic stage.
Mr. Underwood said that he and the
President had discussed fully the sub
stantive features OF the tentative bill
agreed upon by the Ways and Means
Committee.
Mr.. Underwood said further that he
could cheerfuIly support the bI which
will come from the Ways and Means
Committee, although the ma jority leader
acknowledged there were some rates in
the measure which were not those he
would have inserted IL left entirely to
his own devices.
Might Cause Detection.
The fact that the schedule -by-sched-
ule proposal was discussed at length
and no conclusion was reached. is IN
dicative of the importance that Presi-
dent Wilson attaches TO this question.
II the tariff revision plan is submitted
schedule by schedule the chief weapon
of log-rollers will have been taken away
from them. When a bill is submitted as
a whole one member can obtain an IN
crease In duty for an article in which
ne is interested by trading his vote en-
other articles in which other members
are interested. Log-rolling would Lot
be entirely eliminated We're the sched;
ules submitted one by one. but 1t would
be much more difficult for members
to anticipate what the schedules to be
submitted after the one under consid-
Grafton might contain.
Theoretically, the schedule-by-s -sched-
ule revision is preferable. 1t Is pseudo
scientific revision as against the COM
mon log-roiling scheme of revision SO
graphically exhibited to the country
in 500
There is additional reason for a
schedule-by- schedule revision owing to
the Industrial affiliations of members of
the Senate. II free sugar, for instance
Is provision Of the bill, the Democrats
will be deprived Of at least three votes
for the bill the moment it reaches the
Senate. There are other items which
might cause detection. This might
become SO serious that the Democratic
majority would be swept away and the
Republicans would be able to dictate
would lead to trouble in conference,
with result that tariff revision, instead
Of being a speedy and satisfactory re-
demption of the Democratic pledge.
be an unsatisfactory law when finally
enacted.
Further Conferences Ahead.
The subjects left open in the discus
sion presage further conferences along
the same line. Less than two weeks re-
main before the opening of the special
session This time will undoubtedly be
given over In large part by the Presi-
dent to conferences. The result of
these conferences will influence TO a de-
gree the character of the special mes
sage to be submitted to Congress.
II President Wilson is unable to i'm
press his Legislative colleagues" with
the wisdom Of his ideas. prior to the
submission of the bill to Congress-, he
will have gained, through the confer
ences, a new weapon with which to
force the kind of revision he believes
in. He may call attention in this mes
sage to matters in which he is speci-
fcally interested and in which the
Ways and Means Committee may have
shown opposition
The conference last night, however,
was amicable in the extreme. On leav-
ing the White House. shortly before
nidnight, Mr.. Underw ood said the
bill was not such a one as he would
frame, but to correct misapprehension
that might arise from this remark, |
explained that there were some items |
which he disapproved. but that he |
favored the bill as a whole.