The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-04
Authoritatively Stated That
Action Meets View OF
Wilson and Simmons
PRESIDENT TAKES
LEADING PART
Matter Now Settled, Says Simmons,
in Way Which 1t Will Go to the
Senate--Inquisitiv Clause
Causing Worry

washington. June 3.-Revising It's
forrer action in voting to place wheat,
flour. oatmeal and fresh meats on the
duitable list the Senate finance sub
committee in charge of the agricultural
schedule. voted late this afternoon to
place livestock, wheat and oats on the
free list
| This action. 1t was authoritatfvely
stated. was taken to meet the views Oh
President Wilson, Senator Simmons
chairman of the finance committee, and
other administration leaders who disap-
proved of the decision. announced yes
terday to tax meats 10 per cent com
lpensatory to duty on cattle In the
Underwood bill and to assess COM
pensatory duty on both flour and oat-
meal
| The vote to reconsider the schedule In
| the subcommittee was made on the mo-
ton of Senator Simmons, ex-officio
member of all the subcommittee hand
| ling the various tariff schedules and
was taken after he had had confer
| ence with the President at the capitol.
In the enlargement of the free list
President Wilson is said to have taken
a leading part as he did in the raw wool
and sugar.
He is still standing uncompromis-
ingly for the wool and sugar sched-
ules and 1t is declared he will stand
firmly for free cattle, sheep and hogs
and free wheat and oats now that this
has been determined upon as the party
policy.
Senator Simmons conferred with the
President last week about his views on
the method of equalizing the Under
wood bill with respect to these raw
materials and their products.
| When the subcommittees' tentative
| action was announced this forenoon the
| Senator went Immediately to the White
House.
Informed President Wilson
'T told the President" he declared,
| that members of the finance commit
| tee in formal conference had agreed
there should be no tax on flour and
| meats. IT was through the subcommit-
tee taking different action that my vis-
| IL was made ! informed the President
that the majority of the finance COM
mittee felt and said we would vote to
place cattle, and other livestock and
President Wilson agreed to, and said
| it would be concurrence all right"
After leaving the White House Sena-
| tor Simmons called on Senator Williams,
| chairman of the subcommittee, and told
him of the sentiment for free cattle and
| free meal and wheat. Then the sub
committee was called together and ITS
| former action reversed.
THE matter Is settled now" said
| Senator Simmons, "and that is the way
the schedule will go to the Senate"
| The inquisitorial clause of the Under
| wood bill which aroused foreign protest
| has been giving the Williams subcommit-
| tee considerable annoyance. and in try
| ing to work out q modified solution OF
| its provisions they have had the aid of
| Secretary McAdoo, Secretary Bryan and
John Bassett Moore, counsellor of the
| state department.
| A plan is now being discussed to COM
| bine a portion of the provision with the
| amendment proposed giving the secre-
tary of the treasury the right to pro-
j claim values thus to have a safeguard
| against undervaluations and at the same
time rid the provision of features obnox-
ious to foreign powers.
Purpose of Clause
The main purpose of the inquistorlal
| clause was to prevent undervaluations,
a necessity under an ad valorem tariff
| system. BY requiring the submission Of
original entries by foreign manufactur-
| ers in cases of disputed valuation on
| penalty of exclusion of their products,
| the trainers of the bill believed that de-
| liberate undertaking would be at a min
imum. The amendment proposed by As
| sistant Secretary Curtis of the treasury
| department and Assistant Attorney Cen
eral Denison to give the secretary Of the
treasury the right to proclaim valuations
| on imports, irrespective of foreign mar
kets, also was designed to prevent under
| valuations, as well as to steady the rev.
enues under an ad valorem system.
| 1t is now proposed to give the Secre-
| tary of the Treasury the right to pro-
| claim values and In the event foreign
| manufacturers protest against a valua-
| tion, require them to submit their books
| showing cost of production and foreign
value of the goods in dispute. This would
remove the objection to the inquisitorial
| clause by making 1t operative on appeal
of the foreign manufacturer. The other
| feature authorizing the Secretary of the
Treasury to fix general valuation would
serve as a protection to the custom
house against fraud. Secretary McAdoo
submitted to Chairman Simmons today
his views on this general subject and
! the committee now has them under ad-
visement
Arouse Loud Protest
The proposal to place, for the first
! Continued ON Page sixteen)