The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-09
Progress on the Tariff
Bill Not Hindered by
Lobby Investigation

L IOS IcSS Oli CItc dTlll
Bill Not Hindered by
Lobby Investigation
CONTINUED from Page One)
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ivory, sewing machines, typewriters,
print paper, steel rails. pig iron, ferro-
manganese used in manufacturing Steel
photograph films and many chemicals
used in manufacturing.
Free listing of these articles which
enter into the daily life of the average
American, it is calculated by the DEM
ocratic tariff makers will materially
decrease the cost of living. Many other
important articles will be given lower
rates than the Underwood bill gave
them
The fight over tariff revision. how
ever, is just beginning, the division of
the democrats over free wool and sugar
being vet TO- 4 i'ep9se5 cs in the Sen
ate cauela araspect now Is that
PresidaOt ~ srs Recommendations
Will stana. n flonf of the Senate.
howeve er .he freu1arsrE and anti-free
sugar as ~uai 9emasr two or three
of them, are plal...4., % offer amend
ments which will consume much time.
Republican Senators will fight the
bill every inch of the way and are al
ready organizing for debate that will
run over at least six weeks This gen
eral debate will not begin before June
%, in fact, democratic senators are not
confident that the bill will be reported
from the finance committee before
June 30 If the measure is passed by
August /, the democratic leaders will
consider themselves fortunate. Then
NH come a long conference with the
ft1asa, tie aih llar'ns been substantial
IS AAeidaa sf4He pa55ing HhRE aaf-
Aae or Shs- Saf a. 5Hance iafseafl=
nitteas Hare Fl Nost tes.e anliea var-
Ing = sst tirsnifn 1asir task I'aes-
day % Hedutsaass il aaaslbie ssns
tor Simmons has 4 ,;kfffns.. xaf
the majority members of the mann, !,
committee for Tuesday, when some
problems relating to administrative
features of the bill and the income tax
Will be discussed Senator Williams
subcommittee still is struggling with
the income tax and matters relating to
application of an ad va1orem tariff sys-
tenn
Revise Policy Again
Washington, June S.-Revising their pol
Icy again. democratic leaders in the Sen
ate have decided to put countervail-
ing duty on imports of live stock and
grains, fresh meats, -four and other grain
products.
These agricultural products are to be
classed in the free list, in accordance
with the recent statement after a con-
ference with President Wilson, but they
will be free listed with string to them.
countervailng duty means that the
United States will charge on imports OF
cattle, sheep. hogs, wheat. flour and sucE
products. DUTY compensatory to any
duty they may be charged by another
country against America on her exports
CT the same commodities.
This decision has been reached in the
Senate finance subcommittee in charge of
the agricultural schedule after repeate ed
conference with other members of the
finance committee and democratic SEN
ators particularly interested in agricul-
tural raw material and products BY
the imposition of the countervailing duty
the party leaders now believe they will
satisfy everybody, farmers, millers and
manufacturers since all are to be treated
alike. and the farmer cannot claim that
his live stock and wheat are to compete
with that of such countries as Canada
and Argentina on an unequal basis.
Should Canada, Argentina, or any coun-
try which now has such agricultural
products on the dutable list, determine
to remove such duties at any time. they
automatically would so to the unrestrict-
ed free list of this nation
of the knottiest of the problems the DEM
ocrats have had to deal with since they
began the tariff revision. The ways and
means committee free listed the products
of live stock and grain, but put the raw
on the dutiable list. Although
a fight was made to equalize these things
in the House democratic caucus and on
the floor. the Underwood bill went to
the Senate with the determinations
Early in their deliberation the Senate
leaders decided that the rates in these
raw materials and their products must
be equalized but how to do it was the
problem.
The finance subcommittee last week de
cided to put a small duty on all Of these
agricultural products, taking meats and
-four from the Underwood free list. Pub
lication of this aroused a protest and
President Wilson himself was opposed
to the plan. On the very next day the
subcommittee decided to change the pol
icy and voted that the products should
come in free to aid in the general effort
to reduce the cost of living.
Since that decision the democratic lead
ers have found themselves in hot water
again. From certain agricultural coun-
tries farmers fear an invasion If such
products are undutiable. AS result the
decision was reached to resort to the