New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-18
DEMOCRATS PUT o. K"
ON TARIFF SCHEDULES
caucus Finishes Consideration
of Rates Without Making
Any Material Changes.
DNE BID FOR FARMER VOTE
Income Tax and Administrative
Provisions Unsettled - Re-
publican Senators Put OPP
ponents on Defensive.
From The Tribune Bureau

From The Tribune Bureau
Washington. April 17.-Without making
Ia material change. the Democratic caucus
ho-night completed the schedules Of the
Underwood tariff bill. and will begin con-
Isideration tomorrow of the income tax
land administrative provisions. Mr.. Tn
lderwood will try TO secure a final caucus
sgreement on the bill tomorrow night or
Saturday.
Party confabs crowded each other in
Fhe House wing of the Capitol to-day.
FThe Democrats adjourned their caucus at
+ o'clock. and an hour later the Republi-
hcans assembled in the same chamber Tor
swhat the minority terms a conference,
6nstead of a caucus
In the consideration of the tariff bill to-
Eday only one change was made in the
COMMITTEE rates. On motion of Mr.. Bart
Sett, OF Georgia. and without serious OPP
position, phosphoric acid was transferred
nrom the dutiable list at cents a pound
30 the free list. This was another conces-
ssion TO the farmer vote, Mr.. Bartlett eX-
hlaining that it was largely used in the
manufacture of fertilizers.
! There was more heated debate and
tcritcism of the President before the eau
Scus finally waded through Schedule X.
Natter disposing or the woollen schedule
however. rapid progress was made. and
khe schedules relating to silks. pups
@apers and books and sundries were
quickly approved. The caucus then pro-
kUeeded to the free list, which received an
20. X with the exception OF the sec
pions on raw silk. raw rubber and tung
Eten ores. which We're passed over without
prejudice because of the absence of mem
Beers who wished TO discuss these items.
Amendments Voted Down.
Mr.. Bathrick. of Ohio made two in
teffectual efforts TO reduce the rates on
headymade clothing as carried in the wool
Schedule. He first proposed to make such
tclothing free. and then that il carry a
'15 per cent instead of a IS per cent duty.
During the debate on the wool schedule
fAlr. Decker. new member from Mis-
ssouri, added his protest to those hurled at
THE President and the Ways and Means
COMMITTEE He declared the new mem
sbers did not have show; that the Ways
and Means Committee appeared 10 be
running the tariff. the House and every
thing else. ana ne demanded to know
where new member got of" he was
out of tune with the harmony plan
whereby President Wilson had suggested
changes in the bill. He thought the Pres-
dent had no right TO interfere.
These arguments piqued Mr. Thomas an
old member from Kentucky, and with
considerable Indignation he declared the
average new member did not know any
too much about the tariff OF anything
else.
The Was and Means Committee
knows what IL is doing said Mr.. Thorn
as You have no right to demand a
change in the rates unless YOU can pre-
sent evidence not in the possession Of the
y committee regarding the item you are
talking about-and I haven't seen any
evidence presented here"
Mr. Thomas also made a stout defence
of President Wilson's part in the tariff
.tinkering. asserting it was the Executive )
privilege to consult with House leaders
regarding a Democratic bill
Fight Against Subsidy"
Representative Harrison, of Mississippi,
"A member Of the new Foreign Affairs
committee. and others are planning d
eight against the provision to permit a dis
count Of per cent on all duties imposed
NON goods imported in vessels built in the
limited States and wholly the property of
limited States citizens They contend that
Hnis amounts 20 a ship subsidy and that
al is contrary 10 the spirit Of some
E1reaties.
There is but one tarin bill that ever
sbefore carried such provision declared
mir Harrison to-day and that was the
kdrst tariff, passed in 1889, as retaliation
against similar acts Of other countries
rThomas Jefferson advocated il for no
tother reason than that. The provision was
tchanged in all subsequent tariff acts. III
kuch provision is retained II VIII cause
every foreign country with which we have
a,ommercial treaties about thirty Of them
to either serve notice Of abrogation upon
ais or 10 retaliate by increasing their du-
MES on the imports from, or exports to,
abe United States.
The first tariff tilt OF the session oc-
CURED IN the Senate to-day. when ire
Republicans put the Democrats on the
defensive by asking whether or not II
Awas their purpose to allow hearings on
t,he tariff bill Senator Townsend started
the clash By saving he had received hun
dreds of letters and kilograms from the
Representatives Of various industries ask
hing an opportunity to explain what the
proposed reductions in the Democratic
measure would mean TO them.
Senator Williams replied that the ma
s1ority members OF the Finance Commit
tee had decided hearings were unneces-
sary. as conditions had not changed since
the hearings on the tariff bills of the
q last Congress.
1.-THE country wants this revision TO De
expedited" Senator Williams said, IAN
:, is not necessary that Tom, Dick and