Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-02-01
SENATORS JOCKEY
ON TARIFF MEASURE
Parties Seek Political Ad-
vantage in Pending Emerg-
ency Legislation.

Jockeying for political advantage
out of the emergency tariff bill con-
tinues in the Senate, and both repub-
licanS and democrats are maneuver
ing for position which will give them
the best of it in the home stretch
That somebody may come a cropper
in the final dash is pointed out in de-
bate as a possibility.
1t is generally assumed that the re-
publican motive is to pass the bill
through Congress for the President to
veto, and then go before the country
with the claim that the democratic
administration foiled effort to help the
wheat growers, the wool raisers, the
Or, if they cannot pass it. to put the
failure on the democrats of the SEN
ate.
Senator Borah pointed out that if
the proponents of the bill secure the
two thirds vote for cloture, then when
the bill should come back with the
Presidents veto they would be bound
in sincerity to apply the same two
thirds to pass it over his veto, assum-
ing the House had done the same.
Facing such a contingency, it is de-
clared elsewhere. might embarrass
some who now outwardly support the
bill.
Senator Underwood, leader Of the
democrats, is losing no opportunity
to pillory the republicans before the
country as intent upon increasing the
cost to the consumer for the benefit
of the special interests. which are
losing money now. That is the ad-
vantage the democrats expect to get
out of the occasion.
New England Wants High Tarin.
He called attention to the fact that
the New England mills are for the
first time yoicing a sentiment on the
floor fthe Senate for prohibitive
tariff on raw material. New Eng
land has demanded free raw material
in the past, with duty on the manu-
factured product.
Trace the snake to it's hole" said
Senator Underwood, land we find the
bill putting the increased price of
sugar into the pockets of the great
sugar manufacturers of America"
and asserted that likewise the profit
on wool would not go to the western
ranchman, but to the New England
mills. Other senators have declared
that the wool of the sheep growers
is largely in the hands of the mills
now.
Senator Underwood asserted that the
Dill was not to raise customs taxes,
but to increase profits of producers
and cited the item of beans, which, he
said, are prime necessity of those
who cannot afford meat. He said the
proposed tax is S1.20 q bushel on
beans, rate five times the tariff i'm
posed by the present law. That would
mean that no beans would come in.
but that the holders of that commod-
ity, intrenched behind the tariff, would
reap that much profit at the cost of
the consumer. At present the impor-
tation of beans is only.1 per cent of
the home production, so that imports
cannot be said to menace the home
grower.
Would Raise Sugar to IL Cents.
AS to sugar. he said that the new
tariff would raise the price perma-
nently to IL cents, whereas it ought
to go down to at least 4 or cents
and is rapidly going there. The fed
eral government will only derive a
revenue from one-half the sugar con-
sumed. as only that proportion comes
through the custom house.
If the bill should pass the Senate
under cloture. come out Of conference
committee and be finally sent to the
President. Senator Underwood thinks
the President will veto it, Some sena-
tors have suggested the possibility of
the President allowing it to become
a law under the ten-day limit, putting
the blame for the resultant increased
costs to the consumer, if there be any.
upon the republican Congress- The
drawback to this suggestion is that
the bill would have been passed with
in both houses.