New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-22
The Tariff Bill Under Fire and the
Points Where 1t Fails.

The objections TO the Wilson Underwood tariff bill
made by the Republican minority Of the ways ana
Means Committee cover wide range Some are a
little perfuncory as is natural when an opposition
is irving TO construct case without too strict re
card for what it did when il was in power
There is. unfortunately. 4 good deal Of skating
over thin ice in the minority condemnation OF the
ma jority for making up estimated deficit III tariI
and internal revenue collections 10y extraordinary
methods of taxation. used heretofore only in time
of war" This refers TO the imposition of an income
tax But the Republican Congress which passed
the Payne law submitted the amendment through
which the federal governments right 10 collect taxes
ON income has Just been reafiirmed and freed from
the limitations previously imposed upon 1t IN the
Constitution itself Moreover. the Payne law actu-
ally levied a tax the income of corporations
merely taking the precaution for legal reasons to
call il an excise The Republican party was the
first 10 use the income tax, called by another name
in time of peace and by that action it paved the way
for the larger application Of the principle which is
now being attempted.
In Two of lis main criticisms. however. the minor
ity is entirely sound II is RICH: in saying that the
Wilson-U Underwood bill provides for too rapid a
dminution of the protection given to number Of
American industries. The bill carries out Demo
cratic pledges. but Democratic pledges were con
cerned too completely with an immediate reduction
of the prices paid by the consumer They left out
of account the injury likely to be done 10 large
classes Of producers by peremptory reimbursement
If the rates 10 which industry had accommodated
itself
u is Just here that the moderating influence Of
an expert tariff commission would have been bene-
hcially felt The Republican demand for revision
under the guidance of a commission is rational and
tb, Democratic partys hostility to such an agency
has been a serious political blunder
Il is this disposition to look AT tariff making from
a single narrow angle that has led the majority in
the House to repeal the maximum minimum sections
of the Payne law and thus deprive the nation of a
weapon with which to defend Itself in the clashes of
international trade BY the aid of the maximum
abled TO secure material tariff rate concessions on
American GOODS sold abroad II concluded cOnyen-
lions with Germany France, Canada, Italy. Russia.
Spain Austria Hungary and various other countries
by which they agreed 10 admit certain American
products at special rates. All those benefits are
surrendered in the Wilson Underwood bill. which
gives every other nation the advantage of mini
mum schedules at corresponding cost TO itself.
broad. consistent national tariff policy ought to
take into account the tariffs Of other countries and
the trade relations which we must maintain with the
rest Of the world But the pending bill sacrifices all
such considerations TO the purpose Of letting in
more imports and thus cheapening the scale Of home
prices There ought 10 be 40 difficulty in demon
srating that that sort of tariff making is unjuSi-
faby crude and out Of harmony with national in
terests