The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-07-08
PERMANENT TARIFF
 HAS TOP PLACE ON HOUSE CALENDAR
Democrats Agree, With HaIt Dozen Exceptions, Party Shall Stand at Unit
 Against Bill
By Associated Press

Washington, July 7.-The perman- ent tariff bill as drawn by republi- can members of the House ways aud means committee took top place on the House calendar today, not to be displaced by other legislation until voter on July 21. There was no cere- moy in beginning consideration Of the 346 page measure and the day was devoted to having 1t read para bers sat and sweltered without gfv- graph by paragraph while mem ing heed to the monotous droning or of relay of reading clerks.
 Immediately upon adjournment democratic members held confer ence at which it was said, with "haiL q dozen exceptions" it was agreed that the party should stand as unit against the bill. Some members. it was added declined to be bound by instructions, but leaders predicted the final vote would show few breaks in the democratic ranks.
 A resolution was adopted at the conference declaring that the mea- sure violated all principles and tradi- JiOnS or the QSIlOCI atlS Pai " eNitN - affirming the party's stand against high protective tariff. The con ference lasted less than Is minutes
 Conclude Reading Today
 The reading had not been concluded when the House quit work for the day, and before general debate be- gins tomorrow, the reading VIII pc concluded and a rule adopted smut ting off all except few general amendments and such others as may be offered by the committee.
 Outstanding in the first days worK on the bill was the presentation oi d minority statement by democratic members of the ways and means com mittee charging that the repuohcah tariff progra pme would mean de- strnction Of the nations foreign trade. bring new hardships on the tax paving public through the sys- fem of American valuation of imports and establish rates higher than ever heretofore written.
 The majority report and a dissent ing statement by Representative E'rear of Wisconsin, the only repupli- can member of the committee to hreak away from his party stand, all ready had been laid before the mem bers The three sets of oplnlons mus ariypu the House are eXpeCteu " SSifS as the basis for much of the argu- ment during the two weeks in which the House will consider the tariff.
 Universally Vicious.
 The democrats, in their report, de- scribed the bill as the most sirre- tsr,er1ssbsy ail,s unlve raalay virlois' ever submitted to the law making body. They declared 1t to be. con- spiracy to benefit "a few favorites at the expense of all humanity" and added that it's adoption would mean an economy boycott against the whole world"
 Tt would be superflous," the re- port continued" to occupy any space in showing the intimate relations which bind together the beneficiaries of this bill and the republican or ganization.
 s.When therefore, we see in this measure the taxing power transferred to the men, who subscribed lavishly during the campaign we know at ence that here business is in full operation. Never has business in politics been so bold, so defiant of restraint, so indifferent to appear ances as in the presentation of this measure to Congress"