The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1913-09-20
ART ON FREE LIST
AFTER LONG BATTLE
All Tariff Restrictions Removed
From Nom Commercial
Objects.
20 ITEMS STILL IN DISPUTE
Leather Schedule Strengthened
Out by Compromise Silk
Duties Reduced.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1.-THE war that
has been waeed for free art In the turin
bill conference was won <his afternoon
when the Senate rscedsd from all OF Ito
amendments to the House bill.
This will mean the restoration Of the
House provision relating to art importa-
tions.
The nght made In the Senate by sena.
tors Root and Lodge apparently bore
fruit. Chairman Underwood Of the House
Ways and Means Committse. backed up
by hts colleagues from the House. refused
absolutely to yield to the Senate.
The action taken to-day afRects not only
the art paragraphs In the free list but
also the paragraphs in the sundry sched-
ule. In the sundry schedule che House
had made dutiAble at Is per cent. paint
inrs in oil or water coiors. pastels. pen
and ink drawings and sculptures. The
Senate increased this duty to 3s per cent.
and rewrote II. restricting the paragraph
by defining "sculptures' and also ''paint-
inEs" In concluding the matter to-day
the conferees adopted the House para
RTapu III tuc outsoss
lower duty Of Is per cent
But the important fisht over free art
involved the restoration to the free list OF
enxraviuss and etchinss. and the eiimina-
tion OF certain restricted conditions i'm
posed by the Senate on private collectors
in the matter OF Importation. II was con-
tended that as = result OF the restrictions
imposed by the Senate importations oy
private collectors would have bean ham
pered.
The House free list paragraph per-
mitted the importation Of works OF art
except rugs and carpets. including col
lections illustrating the progress OF the
arts, works In bronze. marble. terra
Gotta. parin or pottery or porcelain, artis'
tic antiquities and objects Of art OF
orus mental character or educational
value 100 years old. under regulations
prescribed by the Secretary Of the Treas
ury.
An Rsstvsetisns oaaevsA.
A. the. cSnssrses se,tisA the matter. TO-
day this House provision viii stand a.
the law. The Senate had struck It Out
and had substituted a condition that re-
auired a private collector to pay the
duties on such art importations when they
| were brought in. 1t permitted him. how
ever. to recover the duties thus paid II
| within Ave years after the importation
| hc turned such collections over to ma
tional institution or any State or munich
nal corporation or to a religious society
college or other public institution es
tablished for the encouragement OF arti
and sciences as its permanent propert!
| for free exhibition at least four days IL
each week.
| Senator Lodge and Senator Roo
pointed out that this restriction woult
greatly retard importations by private
collectors and evidently this view foun'
favor with the conference committee
i which to-day removed all restrictions o'
jmportations. Senator Lodge pointed ou
that nearly all private collections made b.
wealthy Americans abroad ultimatei
found their way into some institution
where the general public was permitte
70 enjoy them. The Senators referred I
the collection Of the late J. p. Morgan
which ultimately will 90 to the Metropoll
tan Museum Of Art. and to many publ
works Of art now on exhibition In tha
} museum. N
In short. the advocates Of free art wo
on every important point and they ow
; debt Of gratitude to Chairman Under
, wood, who made such a determined nigh
assisted by his colleagues from the Hous
who stood upon their traditional policy
leading Democrats In favor Of free art.
In the debate Senator Lodge concede
that It had been the policy Of the Demo
| ir AnCnnraRe free ar