Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-20
TARIFF QUERIES
BEING FRAMED
List of Questions to Be Asked
Manufacturers and Import
ers Is Compiled.
DEMOCRATS OF FINANCE
COMMITTEE IN SESSION
Matter Of Publishing Briefs Submit
ted to subcommittee to Be Taken
Up by Full Committee.

The majority members of the Senate
finance committee for an hour today con
sidered the questions which shall be
asked of manufacturers and importers
who have appeared before the subcom
mittees considering the tariff schedules
They had before them the list of ques
tons submitted by Senator La Toilette
and also two, more offered by Senator
Bristow of Kansas.
A subcommittee consisting OF Chairman
Simmons and Senators Stone and VIII.
liams was appointed to consider furthe,
the matter of the questions to which an
swer under oath shall be requested.
A meeting Of the full finance committee
will be held tomorrow, according to Sen
ator Simmons. 1t had been planned to
hold such a meeting today, but at the
request Of Senators Penrose and Calm
ger of the minority it was postponed.
At tomorrow's meeting the question OF
publishing the briefs submitted to the
subcommittee will be taken up. and also
the matter Of the questions which shall
be sent out
Penrose Accepts Amendments.
Senator Penrose called up his resolu-
ton during the Senate session this after
noon requesting the chairman OF the
finance committee to furnish tosthe Sen
ate the names of all manufacturers, cor
porations, importers or other persons who
have appeared before the majority mem
bers of the finance committee or the sub
committees to discuss the tariff schedules
and also calling for the printing Of 1000
copies. OF the questions framed by Senator
La Toilette and Senator RriStow.
Senator Penrose accepted amendefnents
offered by Senator Hoke Smith and Sen
ator Reed, calling for the names OF those
persons who have called Upon minority
members of the finance committee. and
of all persons who made such calls upon
members of the finance committee while
the Dingley and Payne laws We're being
framed.
Senator Penrose announced that the
minority members of the committee had
not organized, and that he did not believe
they would, to present any general
amendment to the bill.
He said, however, that all of the
senators intended to take advantage
of their prerogative to discuss the
measure at length. When Senator
Reed questioned the good faith of the
republicans in seeking light on the
tariff. Senator Penrose said:
after we have been here two or
three months discussing this tariff bill
perhaps the senator from Missouri will
change his mind as to whether we
want light or not"
Administrative Features Protested.
The finance committee has received
from the State Department protests
against the administrative features OF the
Underwood bill and the provision that
would grant per cent reduction of the
duty on imports in American bottoms
filed by England, Germany. France. Italy.
Australia and other countries. The COM
mittee has been informed of a meeting OF
the National Association Of Industry and
Commerce of France. at which the IN
derwood bill was condemned because or
its administrative features.
Some Of the foreign countries are pro-
testing against that provision in the bill
which would give the Secretary Of the
Treasury authority to exclude from entry
goods of merchants or manufacturers
who refuse to submit for inspection by
the United States agents their accounts
pertaining to valuation or classification of
merchandise whenever disputes arise.
However, Canada has exacted a similar
concession from American merchants and
manufacturers, and this country made no
protest. 1t is believed that this feature
will be retained in the bill.
Briefs Support Amendments.
Briefs have been submitted to the COM
mittee by Assistant Secretary Curtis OF
the Treasury Department and Assistant
Attorney General Denison in support OF
the amendments suggested by them to the
administrative portions Of the tariff bill
as it passed the House. The amendments
proposed are briefly as follows: Valua-
lions proclaimed by the Secretary of the
Treasury; the prohibition of contingent
fees In custom litigation; the simplifica-
ton of appraisement proceedings by elm
ination of the single general appraiser
leaving review only by board of three
general appraisers; simplification of the
procedure in classification by substituting
a single general appraiser in place of the
board of threa- Mr.. Denison also filed
briefs in support of two additional sug-
gestions not concurred in by Mr.. Curtis,
as follows: To give the board authority
to publish its decisions I'm full; to elimi-
nate the requirement that the board file
opinions in appraisement cases.
1t is expected that these suggestions, If
adopted will eliminate perhaps three
fourths Of the litigation to which the gov
eminent is now driven in the collecting
of the tariff duties. and this without any
real injury othe rights OF importers.