The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-25
JOINT COMMISSION
Of CONGRESS WILL
Be NAMED, IS plan
Composed of Senators and
Members of House. viii
Revise Code
TOSUBMIT REPORT
BY NEXT FEBRUARY
New Clause Excludes Convict
Made Goods and Products
of Children Under
Fourteen Years

WASHINGTON. Juno 24-Sweep-
Ing changes have been made by the
majority OF the senate finance COM
mittee in the administrative features
OF the Underwood bill from the form
In which it passed the house. These
changes were made public today
The hard work OF revising this part
OF the tariff bill devoived on a sub
committee composed of Chairman
Simmons. Senators Williams, OF Mis-
sisslppi, Shively. OF Indiana, and Gore.
of Oklahoma After proionging their
consideration for a week beyond tho
conclusion Of the other work by the
subcommittee, the subcommittee has
reported TO the Democratic caucus in
favor OF the creation OF joint COM
mission of congress to be composed
of three senators, members OF the n
nance committee. to be designated by
the vice president and three repre-
eenfatives, members OF the ways and
means committee, TO be named by
the speaker whose duty II shall be
to investigate and consider the reve-
nue. administration laws of the United
States with view to simplifying,
harmnnizing, revising and codifying
the same"
Given Wide Latitude.
The commission Is directed 10 sup-
nit final report to congress before
February lst next year. IT Is au-
thorixed to employ clerks and stenog-
raphers, to subpoena witnesses and
comp their attendance and their tes-
,;mony under oath. This Is an en-
tirely new feature not contained In
the Underwood bill as 1t passed the
house.
one of the most important changes
made by the senate committee Is the
extension of paragraph ! of section 4
Of the Underwood bill which denies
entry to ports of the United States OF
foreignmade goods which are the pro-
duct of convict labor. As amended
by the senate committee 1t will ex-
clude also the products of the labor
of children under the age of fourteen.
Exclude Convict and Child Products.
This paragraph. In It's new form. Is
certain to arouse great interest IL not
protest from foreign countries. Here
Il 10:
'1rhat no goods, wares, articles and
n erchand,se--except immediate pro-
ducts If agriculture, forests ana
fsheries--manufactu wholly or In
part in any foi eign country by con-
vict labor or children under fourteen
YEARS OF age shall be entitled to entry
81 any ports OF the United States and
the importation thereof Is hereby Pro-
h!bited. ANY shipment consigned for
entry at any OF the ports OF tho
United States Of goods, wares. articles
and merchandise--except immediate
PRODUCTS of agriculture, forests and
:fcheries-marufactu In any
foreign country. province or &C.
p,ndency where the industrial en-
psoyment Of convicts or Of children
va Fa
,,sohtbitod by law. shall he accom-
iAnied by an afiidavit OF the shipper
CT such merchandise or his legal
aren't to the effect that the merchan-
disc covered BY the invoice has not
Ieen manufactured wholly or In part
by convict labor or by children under
fourteen years OF age. the form OF
the AFFIDAVIT to be prescribed by the
secretary of the treasury who is also
authorized and directed to issue such
further regulation and collect all In
formation pertinent thereto in CO.
operation with the consular service OF
the United States as may be neces-
gary for the enforcement OF this pro-
vision"
Eliminate Inqulsitorial Features
The senate committee yielded TO
the protests OF foreign nations to the
extent Of striking out many harsh In
GuisitoriaI features. The proposed
remission OF per cent Of the duties
carried Ivy the bill on HI fmporta-
tons brought into the United states
ii, American bottoms was omitted De-
cause 1t was believed 1t would vo-
late treaties with more than twenty
foreign countries.
Paragraphs u. v and w are strick-
en- out. Those paragraphs authorized
the secretary OF the treasury to deny
admittance to ports OF the United
States OF any importations where the
foreign manufacturer or foreign ship
per should refuse to produce his
books. records or accounts. pertain.
ing to the value or classification OF
such merchandise.
The third Of these paragraphs pro-
vide for the establishment In each OF
the consuiates OF the United States
In foreign countries OF q registry OF
commissaries or purchasing agents
and regulating tho activities OF such
agents. There were strong protests
from foreign conntries against these
three paragraphs In the Underwood
bill. In excluding them entirely from
The bill the senate committee took
the view that they were unnecessary.
inuuisitive and subjected foreign i'm
porterS to requirements that would
greatly hamper importAtaon. -
Retain Payne ldrich Clause.
The anti-dumpinE clause In the I'm
derwood bill which authorized the Inn
Z