Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-07-24
SIMMONS OPENS DEBATE.
Distinguished North Carolinian Would
Redeem Party Pledge by Revision Of
Tariff Downward.

lDlStlMguASMe6 N0fIn CHr0tln1An Would
Redeem Party Pledge by Revision of
Tariff Downward.
Washington. d. C., July 1S.-The
formal opening of the tariff debate in
the Senate was made today, when Sem
ator Simmons, chairman of the finance
committee, began an explanation of
| the bill
He reviewed what he termed the
failure of the Republicans to redeem
their pledges TO revise the tariff down
ward, and said the Democratic party
had inherited this duty. The bin now
presented to the Senate. he confidently
be lieyed, was fair Interpretation Of
the will of the people, and is an honest
compliance with the pledges of the
Democratic party.
He said the amendments offered by
the finance committee were not pro-
posed in spirit of disagreement with
the House or the theory of tariff revi-
! sion on which that body had acted
His committee, like the House, had
sought to find a basis of action which
would untax the necessaries of life as
| far as consistent with the revenue
needs.
The North Carolina Seantor ex.
pIained that an average reduction of
IA. "a per cent under the rates of the
existing Payne-Aidrich tariff law was
proposed; that the bill as reported to
the Senate provided rates 4.22 per
cent lower than the Underwood bill as
it passed the House, and that from it,
together with tother government re-
ceipts for the fiscla year ending June
80, 1914, there used to be an estimated
surplus im the government treasury of
81, ,020, 900.
A salient feature of this bill, it was
pointed out was the large increase
of imports to be admitted free of duty.
Under the House bill the value of free
listed imports, ON the basis of 1912,
was sos, 100000, whereas the Demo-
Gratis of the Senate in caucus, by
sweeping changes, proposed to free
list imports valued at STAT, 1867 900, an
increase in undutiable imports over
the House bill of $43 1867 900.
Upon the basis of ten months for
the coming fiscal year, it was estfma-
ted that the total customs receipts un-
Ger the new bill would be $266, ,730, 900,
from income tax for ten months, $685.
100000; corporation tax, $37,000,000;
internal revenue. including tax of
SIS, 900 600 on cotton futures, $297,0O0,-
COO, and that the revenue from all
other sources will bring the total for
the fiscal year to 1896, 100000. With !
disbursements, estimated for the COM
mitteee by treasury experts at 1884,
790, 900 a balance is shown in favor
of the government of $2,020,0O0.
In analyzing its changes in the /,
House administrative features of the
bill. the committee mad deemed the
amendments of the House entirely |
too drastic" particularly those author
izing examination of books of foreign
manufacturers, a per cent tariff dis
count on imports in American ships |
and other like features which We're
stricken out. Particular attention
was called to the Senate provision !
DESIGNATED to furnish the President |
with power to impose tariff duties OF /
2 retaliatory character upon all ar
ticles comprised in a specified list,
which includes many agricultural
products.