The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-03-26
REPUBLICAN u.
TARIFF MEASURE
President Harding to Talk With
Members Regarding Next
Session

Washington, March 17.--Republi-
can members OF the house ways and
means committee stood pat today on
the proposition that a permanent tar
III bill should top the legislative pro-
gram of the now session OF congress-
| This view was expressed ut a COM
mlttee conference, which took up
among other things. the question OF
preparing and rushing through the
house the same anti-dumping bill
passed last session, together with an
added American valuation measure
The latter may be Incorporated in the
| same, bill and the committee adopted
resolution requesting treasury de-
partmcnt officials to frame rough
draft for it's consideration.
There was no intimation from the
| White House as TO whether the presi-
dent had approved the program
agreed upon Monday at conference
of the ways and means and senate
finance committees. The president
bad expected to see western men,
! bers of the former committee who
4 have been insistent i'm demanding that
| tho tariff be taken up ahead OF reve-
nue. revision but the meeting was
postponed at his request and Chair
man Fordncy explained that he had
sent MIR. Harding a list Of members
with whom he might want to discuss
the situation.
Meanwhile there were other move
mCnts under way which would have
the effect Of giving interests demand
ing 10 an emergency tariff. There
hnDn ,>c h,
posal by Senator SmOot, Republican,
Utah, TO put an embargo on wool,
which was included i'm the Fordney
measure, passed by the senate and
house and vetoed by Mr.. Wilson.
Congressional and administrative cir
c'cs were said to he planning to put
an embargo on other products now
on the FIRE list Although they had
been advised Of such movement.
members of the ways and means COM
mittee declared that the question of
preparing an out-and-Out emergency
tariff had been definitely abandoned.
Agreement was reached at the
meeting today that the anti-dumping
and valuation bills should not delay
consideration of a straight tariff bill
for the reason that 1T did not fit the
situation with respect to the free list.
Answering questions as to whether
the committee ha' changed front on
Chairman Fordney declared that it
still was thirteen to two vote for
tariff. The west, according to the
chairman, is emphatic in urging tar
III legislation early in the session, in
advance OF all allied bills.
Members said there was no sign of
weakening and that Representative
Longworth, Ohio, and Bacharach,
New Jersey, were standing alone for
revenue legislation first of all.
Representative Young, Republican,
North Dakota, a member OF the COM
mittcc, declared the passage of the
anti-dumping bill would not satisfy
the west. as most of the farm prod
ucts of that section were on the free
list.
The man on the verge Of bank
ruptcy wants something to tie to-"
he said. The west is up against IL
hard, and to my mind will insist up
on having the tariff up ahead OF all
other legislation"
Chairman Fordncy intimated that
the committee, which will meet again
tomorrow, might begin work on the
tariff bill. a motion that the next
meeting be held Monday was voted
down. the view being expressed by
many that there was no reason for
further delay, inasmuch as hearings
were long ago concluded, and that
the time had come to write the bill.