River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-04-24
REPUBLICAN REPORT
MEMBERS OF WAYS AND MEANS
COMMITTEE ISSUE THEIR
FINDINGS.
SCORE PROPOSED SCHEDULES
Radical Revision Is Causing Alarm in
Business Circles, 1t is Declared
Cuts Not Asked for They
Now Assert.

the Democratic tariff bill, are "a de-
fusion and a snare;" that the radical
tariff revision submitted by the Demo
Gratis is inexcusable and uncalled for
and that an accounting will come for
it's enactment into a law, are the con-
tentions Of the Republican members of
the ways and means committee in a
minority report presented to the
house.
"No EXCUSE" Says Report.
There is no excuse for the radical
change in our revenue system propos-
ed by this Democratic BILL" says the
report, which is signed by Representa-
tives Payne, Forney, Gardner, Moore,
Green and Anderson.
"The people have not asked it. The
party proposing it is in power, not by
the grace of a majority of the Ameri-
can people, but by a division in the
ranks of the majority on other ques-
tions than that of protection. The adj
ministration has the power to enact
this legislation. The accounting for
the abuse of that power will come
later"
Business Is Alarmed. They Say.
The report contends that the bill has
caused intense and widespread alarm
in business circles" and quotes the
message of Democratic Governor Foss
to the Massachusetts, legislature des-
cribing the proposed act as "a non
protective tariff for revenue only, I'M
reciprocal, destructive downward reve-
nue."
Asserting that the Democratic bill
seems to meet with universal approx
al on the other side of the Atlantic"
the report declares that the protective
feature has been entirely eliminated
in the framing of the bill.
mo one will accuse the Democratic
committee" it adds, "of seeking to
make up the difference in cost here
and abroad or of even trying to put
the industries here on a competitive
basis with the industries abroad.
"It is easily apparent that many of
the duties have been placed on arti-
Giles used by our manufacturers and
imported wholly from abroad, as a tax
on manufactures; that many duties
have been lowered so that they are
much less than the difference in the
cost OF labor at home and abroad; that
many articles now paying very low
rates of duty have been put on the
free list, while the comparative cost Of
production here and abroad is such
that it will be impossible for business
to continue without bringing down
our scale of wages to the level of the
rates paid abroad. In many cases,
articles are put on the free list, while
a protective duty is laid upon the ma
terial used in their manufacture"
AID VaIorem Criticized.
Attacking the ad valorem system,
the report says it imposes a greater
tax when prices are high and compe-
tition not SO keen and a lesser tax
when prices are low and competition
is keener and much more injurious to
the American producer, and, that it
bears more heavily on the honest i'm
porter and favors the man who, by
perjury and fraud, undertakes his
goods and escapes his fair share of
taxation
The elimination from the Democrat
ic bill of the maximum and minimum
feature of the present law is deplored
by the Republicans, who claim that
through this provision great tariff con-
cessions and regulations were procur-
ed and much added to the export trade
of the country.