The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-10-08

congress for nearly six months the
new tariff bill is a law. and for the
first time in nearly a quarter of a cen
fury the country has a tariff law orig
mated by the Democratic party. The
bill will doubtless be known as the
Underwood-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 it
will raise ample Chairman
Simmons has been advised that it will
yield a surplus Of at least $16,OOO.O 600
! n year above current expenses. If it
does not meet the expenses Of running
the government the expenses will be
reduced.
One remarkable thing about the pres
ent tariff 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 a higher general average.
The house bill carried a general av-
erage rate slightly below 80 per cent.
This the senate cut a little over 4 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
cl>o,,k o. ~o~. onuk NH TAI ,,,,1ou
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 amendments fixing dates
when the wool duties shall go into ef-
feet, which was one Of the final stun
bling blocks.
Raw wool will go on the free list on
Dec. /, and the reduced duties car.
ried by the present bill will become eff
fective on Jan. I. The house bill pro-
posed to make the wool duties effective
Immediately o the bill being signed
by the president. The final action was
an important concession to the anu
facturers.
The senate won over the house also
on ~controverted paragraphs in the
schedule relating to cotton cloths and
yarns. BY this agreement slightly
higher duties are given to certain
roarser grades of cotton cloths and
yarns by changing the classification.
Fur hats and frames. forms and 9th
err parts for the manufacture Of such
hats received a rate of As per cent.
This matter affects the hat industry in
Connecticut. The house fixed the rate
at 40 per cent. the senate made it As.
The silk schedule also was reopened,
and the rate on silk partially manufac-
tured from cocoons or wastes, not fur
ther advanced in manufacture than
carded or combed silk. and silk noils.
was reduced from 80 to 20 cents per
pound.
The Metal Schedule.
. Probably no single industry covered
by the tariff bill suffered such reduc-
tons in duties rs did the iron and steel
industry. The house cut duties UNI
s%paringly. and then the senate follow
Ell by making still further relut tons
and increasing the free list.
The house, for ynmula minced a
duty Of 8 per cent on pig iron. spiegel-
, sen, scrap iron and scrap steel and
Ike products and made ferro- magancse
dntiable ut 10 per cent. The senate
free listed both Of Thorn. and the con
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