The Washington herald., 1913-09-21
BANANAS Will
Come IN FREE
COnferees on Tariff Bill Are
Making Satisfactory
Progress.
HOUSE WINS ON LEMONS
Zante Currants, Over Which There
Ha, Been Trouble, viii Pay
11/a Cents a Pound.
HOUSE WINS ON LEMONS

With the schedules and free list of
the tariff bill still incomplete, the tariff
Conferees adjourned early yesterday.
Probably a dozen important questions in
vOlving duties still are undetermined The
conference will resume its work tomor-
row morning. 1t then will take up and
settle the disputed rate questions and
proceed with the important issues in
vOlved in the income tax, the admins
trative features and the cotton futures
tax amendment.
Important progress was made at the
morning session of the conference COM
mittee. When the COnferees found them
selves so far apart at the beginning of
the afternoon session they turned to the
income tax and decided to postpone furth-
er action on the few remaining matters in
rateS until this week, but they soon found
i impossible to make headWay with the
income tax and by agreement an ad-
iournment was taken until tomorrow.
Meanwhile, an informal conference was
held between Senator Williams, Senator
ShiVely and Representative Cordell Hull
II Tennessee over the income tax. This
Conference was purely advisory, and
hose participating explained that nothing
nad been settled
Bananas will be restored to the free
list, where they have been time out of
mind. The O1e-tenth of l cent per pound
which the Senate applied and which was
expected to yield more than $2,OOO.0OO in
revenue was yesterday discarded. Presi-
dent Wilson and the House cOnferees op-
posed tie duty. The diplomatic repre-
sentatives of the Central American
States aI@o appealed to the President and
the State Department not to lay this en-
barge on the export trade of those re-
publics with the United States. Honduras
and Costa Rici. were the principal
prOtestants.
Not Luxury. Says Wilson.
Those who advocated the duty charged
that the United Fruit Company was the
real opponent of the proposed duty.
President Wilson, however. reached the
conclusion, as the result u his investiga-
tions. that the banana is not a luxury
out necessity to certain poorer classes
and that in legsating to reduce the cost
If living, bananas should remain on the
Tree list.
At the morning session the conferees
went to the House rates on lemons,
always source of trouble for tariff
-evisiOnists. The House paragraph on
lemons. which will be the law. provides
rlassitications and rates based on the
cubic feet of the containers in which
the fruit arrives The effect of the re-
turn to the House rates means slightly
lower duties on lemons.
Zante currants. the ordinary Seedless
currant of commerce. which is import
ID from Zante Island. subject to Greece.
will pay IL cents pound. The House
made the duty cents and the Senate
ut it to cent. The Greek Legation
II Washington was much interested in
having the currants admitted free but
the tariff cOnferees had in sight 5000
@0 in revenue on the basis of cents a
pound. Once the rate was settled in
'onference at cents, Then Senator
salisbury of MARYLAND took up the Cud-
gel for the Greek currants. Finally the
House CUnferees relaxed to the extent
# half cent pound. but in doing 50
insist that they yielded up SOO,OOO in
-evenue.
Press Cloth Free.
Press cloth made from camers hair
used in the cotton oil industry will
=" on the free list. This is House
victory. Fur hats, bOnnets and hoods
ard forms. bodies or shapes, for the
same. ill come in at a duty of 40 per
'ent. whereat certain Eatters in Con-
nectic-I will be unhappy. for Senator
BTandeG'e ( told the Senate that the in
lustry in his State required 30 per cent
1" exist The Senate, moved by his
emtrea les raised the duty to - per
.enL Eut even the small increase of
: per cent was denied the hatters yes
tel day. and the House rate was re-
stored in the conference. The Senate
ais retained The cUuntervailing duty
on potatoes. as il had been able to do
with wheat and -four.
Among the items in The bill still in
.n-pute between the Houses are lead
.ni zinc. burlaps and bags. denatured
alcohol. which was thought to be SCI
IleG Friday. cotton clothes. and a num-
hCr of otha. important matters The
Senate yesterday won a victory on
wood pulr. A. finally agreed to. the
hIlI strikes out the retaliatory clause,
II COUntervailing duty. which is a vic
tory fCI the publishers. The House
lad put il j. to tne bill. and the SEN
'tr at one :ne accepted the House
Revision. but later relaxed.
Chairman Simmons said again yester-
iHtiable list. thereby reducing the esti-
mates II possible revenue about 81, O0O, ,O00. |
and the reduction of the rates on Zante
urrantS. which means a loss of another
half million had not given the COnferecs
any concern for the revenues. The Sen
ate hau to yield on its amendment tax
ing certain wines and by that action |
gave away the prospect Of securing |
100000 OF 100000 in rev enue. But |
Senator Simmons asserted that the ex- !
perts at work on the revenue estimates !
had assured him that the bill as it /
stands now will produce sl6OOO.OOO more |
revenue annually than is needed for the |
running expenses of the government.