The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-03-11
FOOD DUTY FREE
HOUSE DEMOCRATS WILL MAKE
As NEAR APPROACH TO THAT
As POSSIBLE
FARMERS SURE TO OPPOSE IT
cemPensations, However, viii Be Of
fered Agricultural interests In the
Way of Reductions on Articles
That They Must Buy.
By GEORGE CLINTON.


Washington.-It is said by members
of the ways and means committee of
the house at last constituted and who
will continue to hold membership In
that body in the new congress. that
the first and great effort of the new
tariff legislation will be ito reduce the
cost OF living" This is interpreted
as meaning that among other things
there will be as near an approach to
duty free food" as is possible. The
house unQuestionably will put sugar
on free list. but also unquestionably
the senate viii decline to agree and
VIII make compromise on the pres
ent duties. The cane and beet sugar
makers are protesting to congress-.
just as they protested last summer.
that free sugar would kill their indus
tries.
A tariff for free food means that
the duties will be taken OF many
eatahles that now pay high rates. al
though 1t is known that the rates will
be maintained on such foods as come
under the head OF Injuries. the pal
ate ticklers" of the present customs
laws.
The Democratic leaders know of
course that If an approach to free
food is attempted there will be oppo-
sition from the agricultural interests
of the country or from large part OF
them. The intention OF the Demo.
Gratis. therefore, is to Offset with COM
pensations any damage which will be
done to the farmer, the truck garden
er and the fruit raiser. Their agu-
, ment Is that If man gets smaller
price for his products he can afford
the loss provided the things which he
buys for his home use, clothing and
other articles. are reduced In cost.
Provide for Compromise.
It is a delicate table OF balances
which the ways and means committee
members will have to prepare. and
! they must prepare it with full knowl-
edge that changes unQuestionably will
| be insisted upon by the senate. The
chances therefore seem to be that the
house viii make greater cuts in some
OF the rates than 1t would have made
1
senate would insist upon raising them.
| The plan OF the house majority. and
| II is very human plan, is to make
the rates SO low that the basis of COM
| promise will be correspondingly low;
In other words, that they can yield
considerably more than they would
have yielded If the rates had not been
put very low with the~fuil knowledge
| that 1t was necessary to prepare in
any call for margin OF compromise.
The Democrats say they understand
| fully the opposition which may come
| to efforts to put certain kinds OF foods
on the free list or make them almost
free. They declare they are going to
/ make an effort in their tariff bills to
so reduce the cost of other articles
| that the men who raise food stuffs for
! the markets Will find they are better
of at the end of the year even under
reduced prices for their products than
they are under the present tariff ar
| rangements.
All this the Republicans, of course
| say remains to be proved and they
predict for the Democratic party great
trouble Id bringing down the duties on
manufactured articles to point to
Offset the losses to the farmers be
cause of free food, and to do it with
out putting the manufacturing con
Germs out of business.
Tariff Hearings Hold Good.
There has been some curiosity ex
pressed in letters received In Washing
ton as to how the last congress could
go ahead holding hearings and making
i preparations. for tariff legislation
which must be passed by apincomine
congress. The matter is simple
4 enough in itself because the majority
of the members OF the ways and
means committee OF the present house
will continue to be- the majority In
the next committee, and of course
their findings and their preparations
will be endorsed by the same rner
who have just endorsed themA al
though their findings will have to be
! passed upon by house differently
/ constituted In It's personnel than was
that Of the last session
1t is OF course possible that the
great influx of new members. mostly
Democrats. could by a combination
with hold-over members force re-hear
ings on tariff measures and pass ar
entirely different Kind OF a bill than il
is the present intention OF the ways
and means committee to recommend
for adoption. There is not one chance
In ten thousand, however, that thii
will occur.
4 Extra Session Program.
When congress gets togethel
April the house immediatel,
lly win elect speaker to succeed
Champ Clark, and the chances ars
that the man to succeed will be Mr.
Clark himself. Then when the com
mittee memberships definitely are as
signed the members VIII get down a
once to tariff tinkering.
/ 1t is pretty generally expected IL
| Washington that the administration
Z, will ask congress to take up currellcl
Legislation at the extra session. but i