Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1921-03-18
PRESIDENT FAV0Rs
EMERGENCY TARIFF
Harding and Leaders Fail to
Agree on Measures.
FARMERS WELFARE TO FORE
Question Of Precedence Causes Conflict
of Opinion Between Executive and
Republican Leaders, According
TO Washington Reports.


conflict of opinion between President
Harding and Republican leaders of
congress over whether tariff or tax
legislation shat have precedence at
the special ses>. On next month has
developed, it IS said.
1t was reported here, that the Pres
ident in sympathy with the agricul-
tural industry, is strongly in favor of
providing an emergency tariff while
the permanent tariff bill is being en-
acted.
He has proposed, it was learned,
the revision of the old Payne-Aldrich
schedules to meet the requirements
of the present situation as a tenn
porary measure. When that is dis
posed of, he would have the revenue
bill taken up next, leaving the per-
manent tariff act until last.
The majority of the leaders of the
bill, especially the members of the
senate finance committee and the
house ways and means committee, are
just as strongly opposed TO this plan
as the President is for it. Their pro-
gram contemplates the complete aban-
donment of the emergency tariff pro-
posal and they want TO give the per-
manent tariff priority over the tax
bills on the legislative calendar.
Want to Saws Time.
They argue that it will take nearly
as long to pass temporary tariff
bill as a permanent one, and that time
will be saved by discarding the emer-
gency plan and taking up the per-
manent measure at once. The wis
dom of President Hardng's fplan to
restore the Payne-Aldrich duties is al
so doubted.
Many contend that the idea is
neither feasible nor practicable, as the
Payne-Aldrich schedules can never be
made applicable to the present situa-
ton. for which, they declare, an en-
tirely new bill must be drafted. A
sharp division exists on this point,
but both factions agree that the revi-
sion of the old schedules as suggested
by the President will consume as much
time as the writing of a permanent
bill would take.
The ideas of the senate and house
leaders on the legislative program
were laid before the President by
Senator Penrose of Pennsylvania,
chairman of the senate finance com
mittee, and Representative Fordney of
Michigan, chairman of the house ways
and means committee.
The President, it was learned, with
held his consent to the plan for the
abandonment of the emergency tariff,
although he approved the proposed
antl-dumping act and the change in
the method of imposing import duties.
His insistence on temporary tariff,
1t was revealed, is due to the strong
pressure coming from the farmers,
who claim that nothing else short of
an Immediate tariff will save them
from complete ruin.
The position of the President was
strengthened when a delegation of
western senators and representatives
| called at the White House to urge an
embargo on wool to shut off the M
ports from Australia and New Zealand
Which are depressing the American
market. The President gave the de-
legation sympathetic hearing, and
Informed them that he would ask Sc
cretary sof Agriculture Wallace to
work out solution of the problem.
Emergency Measure Hopeless.
In their desire for harmony legis-.
lative leaders would be willing to ac-
eept the Presidents plan, but their
experiences with the emergency tariff
at the last session have convinced
them. with few exceptions. that il
would be waste of time TO introduce
a similar measure in the coming SEES
sion 1t is virtually hopeless. they
declare to think that a temporary bill
confined solely to principal agricul-
tural products can be put through, be-
cause of the varied interests repre-
scented in the senate who insist that
| protection for them is just as essen
tial.
Senator Penrose said that with a
"discipllned" majority behind il. an
emergency tariff bin might be put
through as the President wishes. but
that he doubted ia various senator's
could be induced 10 submerge their
demands for tariff ON other COM
modities until permanent measure
is drafted A decision in the cop.ro-
versy is expected sometime inns week.
i