The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-08
PARTY PLEDGE To
REDUCE TARIFF IS
TO Be REDEEMED
Democrats Introduce Sweep
ing Measure on Opening
of Congress
TO BE
QUITE EXPENSIVE
Big Incomes viii Also Be Hit
Hard, But Necessities of
Life viii Be Great
ly Reduced

WASHINGTON. April with this
opening of the special session OF con-
gress today the Democrats introduced
their bill revising the tariff. 1t Is
measure designed to make good their
promise to the country to reduce the
cost of living by removing or sharply
reducing the duties on the necessarles
of life. and products controlled by the
trusts. Urged on by President Wilson
they have added to the free list many
of the products that enter into the
ordinary market basket and siashed
the duties on articles that contribute
to the warmth and comfort of the
workingman and the average Ameri-
can.
The users Of luxuries will find no
comfort In the new oil. They have
been called upon Ia assume burden
fully as large as that laid on them
by the present Payne~Aldrich Law.
and in addition the man of wealth Ii
summoned 10 contribute more liberal-
ly than ever TO help remove the bur-
den of taxation on those less able to
bear IT,
Revenue From Income Tax.
About S120,00o.060 of the revenue
needed by the government Is made up
by the imposition of an income tax,
the first to be proposed under the re-
Gently adopted amendment to the fed
eral constitution.
All persons having net income over
"a 900, and also all arms and corpora
tons and partnerships with an equal
income, will be called upon to help
make this loss. The incomes of the
latter will be subject only to fiat
tax of one per cent, but individuals
will be obliged to submit to tax
of a graduated character. increasing
with the size of the income.
u De IAya -
sons tariff bill is a radical down
ward cut where it condemns the neces-
saries of life and products that are
controlled by alleged monopoifes. In
regard, however, TO other features or
the bill, notably the chemical schedule,
the rates are in many instances higher
than those in the PayneAldrich law.
Provides For Reciprocity.
The tariff bill contains important
new administrative features 1t does
away with the maximum and mimi
mum clause OF the present law, and
substitutes for this system of retalia-.
ton provision for reciprocity
treaties.
It also provides for preference for
goods carried in America bottoms and
contains features designed to elimi-
nate frauds from the customs service.
1t puts the relation between the United
States and the Philippines on an abb
vides for the repeal of the corpora-
ton tax law. substituting therefor the
income tax
The most impressive cuts in the new
bill relates to foodstuffs and clothing,
and the raw material which Is used In
building purposes. The bill contains
free list in which is found these
items of daily consumption: All
dressed and prepared meats, -four.
bread, milk and cream, potatoes, salt,
swine. corn, cornmeal, and fish.
Raw Wool on Free List.
The most impressive single cut In
the bill is that by which raw wool
goes on the free list. 1t is now taxed
a duty of about thirty-five per cent
ad valorem. BY this single change
the Democrats have reduced the
revenues from customs receipts about
10000, 900,
The bill also provides for ultimate
free sugar. 1t proposes an immediate
reduction of twenty-five per cent, and
the removal of the remaining duty
in three years, II eliminates tho
Dutch standard as the test for sugar,
and provides for a reduction in duties
based on the polariscope test.
4 There have been important reduce
/ tions in farm products, Butter has
been cut from six to three cents
pound: eggs from five TO two cents
I "A dozen; cattle from duty of twenty
seven per cent to ten per cent al
valorem; sheep from sixteen to ten
/ per cent: hay from forty-six to twen-
ty-six per cent; fruit from twcnfy-
seven to fifteen per cent: lemons and
| citrus fruits from sixty-eight to TWEEN
ty-four per cent and poultry from
/ thirteen to six per cent.
Wooden and cotton manufactures
have been slashed sharply.
/ The idea OF the large extension OF
the free list for manufactured
products Is illustrated in the lumber
schedule.
| Plate Glass Luxury.
! When it came to plate glass the
tariff revisionists spotted it as
| luxury and levied an average of thir-
! ty-eight per cent; as compared with
an average under the present law
/ of sixty-three per cent.
| In commenting on some OF the in
| creases the ways and means commit
| tee contends that the prime motlv0
| Throughout had been to grant the pub
| lie as much relief IS practical while
at the same time conserving the in-
comes OF the government to the neCeS-
/ sary extent.
| Silk. as one of the luxuries, is MAIDS
/ to bear n large proportion OF this
revenue responsibilities. only slight
reductions having been made.
| The newspaper publishers OF the
country. have won long fight In hav-
| ing print paper put on the free LIST
as well as wood pulp.
| Those Affected Wait and Study.
NEW YORK, April 1.-THE attituds
of those most directly affected by the
tariff bill today was one OF waiting
to study its rates and provisions he@z
fore commenting upon Ii rs to effcck5
upon them. The steel industry, look
ed TO in the financial district ~ th4
leader and index OF conditions. had uGs