The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-10-01
WILL MOI, CHANCE
..1 TARIFF LAWS
Senator PenrOse Declares
Conditions Are too Much
Unsettled
TAX iLEGISLATION
Ar !; ALSO POSTPONE,lDE
Protective Tariff Organizations oppose
Tariff Revision at This Time-WiI
Be Taken Up BY the Next Admins
tration.

WASHINGTON, Oct. l. There
will be no revision of the tariff or re-
peal of the present revenue law by this |
congress, in the opinion of Senator Pen |
rose, chairman of the senate finance
committee, who said that the excess
profits and other complicated taxes
would not be revised or general re-
venue legislation undertaken until the
next administration.
sit is not likely that the question of
general tariff revision will come up un-
til after the next Presidential elee-
tom said Mr. Penrose. 1.-THE world is
still upset and commercial and indus
trial conditions are so disturbed and
involved that 1t would be very difficult
if not impossible to make proper tariff
schedules. The state. of foreign ex-
change renders international trade diff
fcult, and in cases impossible Foreign
countries are adopting embargoes and
other import regulations by licenses
| and otherwise, for their own particu-
| lar advantage.
The English government, it has
been reported has recently placed an
export duty on skins sent from Eng
| land to the colonies, which, if true, will
seriously embarrass the leather indus
| try of the United States.
| "'Nearly all the protective tariff
publicity agencies, such as the Protec-
tive Tariff league. and the Home Mar
ket club of Boston, oppose tariff revi-
sion at this time Similar views have
been generally expressed by business
men all over the country in written
communications
- An effort has been made to secure
the passage of few so-called popgun
tariff bills through the house of rep
! resentatiyes, and these bills are now
pending in the senate finance commit
| tee. Generally speaking, the members
Of the committee are not enthusiastic
concerning this-kind of piecemeal leg
| islatiun. 5gg1 ~tss..af -.f
f'There- are number of,amendments
to the revenue act, repeating certain
taxes. Should these bills, already
passed By fife fhGtrse, BIZ accepted by thl
senate, doubtless. a flood of similar
amendments would come along for tbs
elimination of other taxes. Several mil
lion dollars would be swept aside in g
very short time. These bills will be ex
amined very carefully by the commit
tee before final action is taken.
Taxes, of course, ought to be largely
reduced as soon as possible. How ia
they can be reduced depends on whcth
er congress can get out of the waste
full habit of improvident expenditures
Economy and retrenchment must pre-
cede tax reduction. BY that | do no
mean drastic economies. but the appli
= cation of common sense to government
expenditures. ! must confess that Their
/ is no startling evidence of a desire fo
:, economy on the part of the administra
}. ton under the Wilson regime.
cit must be- remembered that III
o control of the government is still di
Y vided The Democrats have possession
lie OF, the executive branch, and while tn
Republicans have a safe majority i
l. the house. their control OF the senate
n for purposes outside of organization,
$ nominal On tax questions the Reput
4 licans could not command q united ms
10 iority, although nominally they have
majority of two in the senate.
, .'Unless something unexpected oC
: ours to demand imperatively immediat
. action. it is not likely that general re
: ision can be safely taken up until aft
u er the next presidential election, whe
it is hoped that the Republicans will b
in control of all branches of the goN
eminent with working majorities
both houses of congress. Then wi
come the opportunity to abolish the e.
cess profits taxes and other simila
complicated and burdensome forms {
taxation, together with taxes on art
cles of consumption. Then will ais
come the opportunity to frame an adj
ouate tariff schedule to promote IN
safnrnarl American industry Y