The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-12-08
HARDING PLAN FOR
TARIFF REVISION
PLEASES c. 0. P.'S
Senate Committee Not To
Take Action Until House
Begins Writing New
Bill
BY Associated Press

Washington, December 7.-Presi-
dent Harding's' suggestions for flex-
IDLE tariff rates and a provision for
proclaimed American valuation APP
parently have been we'll received by
many of the republican members of
Congress charged with the drafting
of tariff legislation, but a formal
decision on them by the Senate fl
nance committee is likely to be de-
ferred until the actual rewriting of
the House tariff measure is started.
probably next month.
Chairman Penrose of the Senate
committee plans to confer soon with
the leading republicans of the House
ways and means committee regarding
the subject. He said today that he
had secured much favorable comment
on the Presidents suggestions, add
ing that he and other members of
the committee had discussed the pro-
posais with the executive before they
were presented to Congress by Mr..
Harding yesterday.
Senator Penrose expressed the
opinion that careful thought would
have to be given to the manner OF
delegating authority to the President
to change the rates or proclaim Amer
lean valuation as the basis for assess
>ing duties as changing conditions
might warrant. Amendments to the
House bill prescribing the means of
making the grant of authority al
ready have been proposed by Senator
Smoot of Utah, a member of the COM
mtttee, and these were given study
today by members of the committees
as well as other senators and by
some members of the House.
Chairman Fordney OF the House
ways and means committee, who re-
turned to the city today, said he had
not had time to study the Presidents
suggestions and would withhold COM
ment. He did say, however, that from
the first he had favored the drafting
of bill fixing minimum and maxi
mum rates with authority for the
President to fix the amount of duties
between those figures at such inter-
walls as conditions might warrant a
change.
Hearings on the House measure
were resumed by the Senate commit
tee under a schedule which will keep
1t in session almost every day from
now until the Christmas holidays
The tobacco schedule occupied the
committee today and tomorrow it will
take up cotton manufactures.
Conflicting views as to any In
creases in the duties on tobacco were
expressed by spokesman for manu-
sfacturers and growers. Senator
Fletcher. democrat, Florida, speaking
for the Cigar Manufacturers associa-
ton of Tampa, and Joseph Cullman
Jr., OF New York, representing cigar
manufacturers and the leaf tobacco
trade generally. opposed Increases in
existing rates, while NJ. L. Floyd of
Hartford, Conn, representing the New
England Tobacco Growers associa-
tion, urged an advance in the import
duty on wrappers from the present
$1.S5 per cent to $3.50 pound.
Pointing to a decreasing produce
ton of cigars in this country Mr..
Cullman said that the manufacturers
could stand no increase in burdens,
but on the other hand should be given
some relief. He urged retention OF
the present rate on wrappers and the
existing rates on filters and scraps.
If the rates are advanced, as pro-
posed in the House bill, he said the
federal revenues will be decreased
through decreased importations and
the growers will not be benefited, as
the manufacturers will be unable to
further increase their prices to the
public.
Mr., Floyd argued that an increase
in the rate on wrappers to $3.50
pound could be absorbed by the
manufacturers without increasing the
price as the increase would represent
an increase of only onefifth of
cent on each cigar.
Junius Parker of New York city,
speaking for cigarette manufacturers,
argued against the proposed increase
in the House bill In the duty on
Turkish tobacco, while Alfred Aram,
representing California growers of
the Turkish type tobacco, urged the
increase on the ground that 1t was
necessary for the development of the
new industry in the Pacific coast
state.