New-York tribune., 1919-05-25
H.arings Will Be Begun
When Semi-Luxury and
Soft Drink Taxes Are
Settled, Says Fordney
Rate on Imports Is Cut
REDUCTION Gives Advantage
70 China and Glassware
From Orient, Is Charge
Ncm York Tribune
Washington Bureau

Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, May 24.-Chairman
yoydney Of the Ways and Means Com
S;,ts. announced in the House this
.stsrnoon that extensive hearings
,s.t;po to complete revision of the
.s,;s are to be begun by the commit
=. as soon as resolutions repeating
~. semi-luxury taxes and soft drink
..xss Of the present revenue law have
beeu acted upon.
representative Fordney asserted the
ps;Iroad Administration, without con-
.a,ting Congress, had issued an order
II effect reducing import duties on
sh;na and glassware from the Orient
~ lowering freight rates on these ar
sisles while maintaining rates on SINH
l,r products of American manufacture.
"Ths is a matter of great impor-
,.nce.p Representative Fordney said
therefore, | see much more necessity
,or revision of our tariff laws right
,ow because of this act on the part of
he Railroad Administrations
This expression was greeted with
,rplause from the Republican side of
the House.
Committee to Act at Once
In opening his speech Chairman
POrdney announced the full Ways and
Means Committee will be called to-
gsther early next week to act on rcso-
utions repeating the soft drinks and
luxury taxes.
q learned Yesterday" he continued,
that the Railroad Administration has,
without consulting any other branch
Of the government. decided to reduce
height rates on foreign imports enter
inc this country on the Pacific Coast
and going to the Atlantic Coast. They
nave decided to reduce freight rates
on foreign imports. especially from the
Orient, from S2.7o per ton TO 50 per
ton on less than carload lots, and from
sl.S7ls per ton to $3.50 per ton on
carload lots.
a have made inquiries az the De-
partment OF Commerce and find that
the Department of Commerce has no
information on the subject. When |
made inquiry at the office of the Di-
rector General of Railroads as to why
this was being done, | was informed
it was in response to a unanimous re-
quest from Importers of foreign made
goods. asked if there were any other
people asking for it. whether domestic
producers had made any such request,
and they said there was no such re-
quest except from foreign importers.
Gentlemen, this is in every sense
Of the word reduction of our present
tariff rates on imported goods 1t is
another way of getting at lower import
duties by lowering the rates of freight
on those goods and not on domestic
made goods"
China and Glass Involved
representative Bankhead, Of Ala
ama, Democrat. inquired as to the
character of the imports on which the
reductions were to be made.
Mr. Fordney replied they were chief
ly chinaware and glassware. These
commodities he added, came chiefly
from China and Japan.
Our tariff rates now on all imports
IN the last twelve months" continued
Ar. Fordney, "have been down to the
lowest ad vaiorem rates charged by
any country on the face of the earth
lhey are below those of China, a frac-
non below 8 per cent ad valorem. This
means that still lower rates prevail on
great many important competitive
namely, chinaware and labo-
ntory glass and glassware, an indus
ny that at the present time needs
greater protection than is given in the
present tariff law"
representative Wilson, Of Illinois
republican, asked if Mr. Fordney
meant meant to convey the information that
oomestlc goods manufactured on the
sscinc Coast, similar TO such goods as
arc imported into this country, do not
asVe the same rate. Mr.. Fordney re
Piled:
Discrimination Charged
:, ms applies to imported goods from
vac faclhc Coast coming into this
.Vuh'fy TO the Eastern coast, especially
we' tne railroads, but it does not ap-
:! 20 domestic goods made on the
''slnc Coast coming to the East"
,.. asked II he had copy of the order
y. s.'eo by the railroad administration,
-, -, , ,ofdney said he was informed it
Isa .sa oeen prepared in Chicago and he
- peen unable thus far to obtain a
~! he added, however, that this
- s'o,mation was received at the Office
'as Director General of Railroads
.'a sne Department of Commerce and
therefore official. The reductions
s.,s s !" become operative May 20, he
representative Sweet, Republican, of
'a' asked if this change had been