The Washington herald., 1921-06-29
TARIFF BILLGOES
TO HOUSE TODAY;
PROTEST NOT MET
Party Caucus Called for
Tomorrow to Iron Out
Objections.
LUMBER STILL SNAG
Republican Leaders Hope to
Get Formal Action by Full
Committee This Week.
LUMBER STILL SNAG

Rspublican members Of the House
wavs and Means Committee COM
pleted the permanent tariff bill last
night and authorized its introduc-
tion in the House today by Chair
man Fordney.
Eleyenth-hour protests were made
before the committee by delegations
. opposing any duty on lumber urs-
ing a duty on hides and obJecting
to a duty on black-strap molasses
which Is used in the manufacture
OF commercial feeds
A final effort to harmonize df-
-ferences among Republican MEM
bers of the House will be made In
a party caucus Thursday night
tcall for which was issued by KEEP
resentative Towner Of Iowa. chair
man of the caucus.
Gives President Power.
During the day the Ways and
Means Committee approved admin
istrative features of the BILL IN
cludin1 a provision authorizing the
President. in connection with reci-
procaf tariff negotiations with other
countries, to reduce a rate OF duty
by 20 per cent in return for favor
granted in connection with Ameri-
can products. This provision was
presented by Representative Long
worth. following conferences with
President Harding.
The program of the Republican
Headers contemplates formal action
by the waws and Means Committee,
with the Democrats participating
for the first time. before the end
of the week, so that the bill may
be taken up on the floor of the
House next week.
A concession made by the Repub-
lican members in changing shall"
to MAY in the reciprocal provision
relatinRb to the duty -on Canadian
Number Jailed to satisfy completely
bpponens Of a duty on lumber. II
developed that the provision as It
now stands authorizes the Presi-
dent to negotiate with any nation
which may impose duty on lum-
Der finished on one side or more
apd tongued and grooved' with a
view to the removal OF the duty.
Conflict on wording.
II such a nation, meaning Can
adian. fails to remove the duty,
which at present in the case of that
country is IS per cent ad valoren,
I
discretion issue a proclamation i'm
posing countervailing duty OF the
same amount.
This provision, committee mem
bers contended, in effect provides
for free lumber. Representative
Towner. after urging that lumber
be left on the free list, admitted
that so far as this kind of lumber
Is concerned he believed the Ameri-
can people would be satisfied.
Representative Fordney insisted
that only lumber used for flooring
and ceiling is meant b. that which
Is finished on one side or more and
tongued and grooved." Willingness
was indicated to change the Ian
guage so that by no possibility could
the customs courts construe il as
embracing all finished lumber.
Not Fully Satisfied.
Although the present form of this
sprovision is not so objectionable as
the original section, which made II
mandatory on the President to i'm
pose a duty equal to that of an
other nation, opponents indicated
their unwillingness to accept the
proposed duty on logs and on
The bill provides that when an
other nation places an embargo or
other restrictions on expectation to
the United States of fir, spruce,
hemlock or cedar logs that a duty
Of III per thousand feet shall apply.
The duty on shingles is so cents per
1000 pieces.