The Washington herald., 1913-07-05
WORK ON TARIFF
BILL NEAREND
Finance Committee Demo
Gratis Continue Their La.
bors on Holiday.
SIMMONS Is OPTIMISTIC
Hopes 10 Have Debate Begin July IL
and Thinks 1t viii Be Concluded
.--.. in Five Weeks.

Democratic members of the Finance
Committee observed the eth Of July by
working all morning and part of the aft
ernoon, clearing up work on the tariff
DILL. They did not conclude their work.
and will have another meeting today. The
caucus will also meet today, and II Is
expected that before the close Of the day
the bill will be ready for the printer.
Chairman Simmons said yesterday that
he hoped to report the bill in the Senate
Wednesday of next week, and to obtain
an agreement by unanimous consent TO
have the debate on the measure begin In
the Senate Monday. July IA.
Il do not believes that the Senate will
require more than five weeks to complete
consideration of the bill" said Senator
Simmons. The optimistic view expressed
by the chairman of the Finance Com
mittee. however. Is not shared by his COL
leagues in the committee or by Senate
leaders generally. They expect the de-
bate to run along for two months.
Tax on ..Spurious wines."
At the session yesterday morning the
committee perfected an amendment pre-
posed Thursday by Senator Pomerene to
impose an internal revenue tax of -
per cent on spurious wines" In tn.
amendment as IL was completed yester-
Jay, this class of wines is described as
those made from pumice. f1avoring ex-
tracts, and other materials. fortified with
chemicals. The committee also provided
in its amendment that the containers
in which such wine is carried must bear
label showing the true character of
the contents and the ingredients that
enter into the manufactured product
This will have the effect Of bringing such
manufactures within the scope of the
pure food law.
The majority of the committee also
agreed tentatively on an extension of
the date when the wool duties shall
expire. In the absence of certain Sem
ators who have been opposed to the
removal of the duty on wool, the COM
mittee declined to make public just
what has been agreed on in this re-
spect until after they have submitted
IL to Senator Walsh and his colleagues
who have been opposing free wool. and
learned whether 1t is agreeable to
them.
The suggestion made Thursday that
the date on which the tariff bills shall
- into effect will be fixed for Octo-
Der / was not adopted by the Finance
Committee yesterday. The sentiment
disclosed at the meeting of the COM
mittee was in favor of having the bill
go into effect as soon as 1t Is passed.
except as 10 the lew scneuuies WHICH
have been otherwise provided for,
among them wool and sugar.
Average Adj VnlOrem Duty.
Chairman Simmons expressed the
opinion yesterday that the average ad
valorem duty carried by the new bill.
as it will be reported to the Senate.
will not be far from 25 per cent. or
from s to per cent below the average
rate of the House bill.
1t is impossible at this time to make
any definite estimate as to revenues.
because of the uncertainty as to the
effect of the new tax imposed on deals
in cotton futures. The cotton exchange
men declare that this tax will be pro-
and will close the cotton ex-
changes and put an end to that kind
of trading. and that consequently
there will be no revenue from that
source.
Il do not believe that this new tax
will wipe out cotton exchanges or put
an end to trading in cotton futures.
although it will undoubtedly curtail
such activities" said Chairman Sim
mons. Il believe that we may look
for some revenue from this source.