Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-02
DUTY RATE IN TARIFF
BILL 1877 PER CENT

WASHINGTON, June 30.-The
average rate of duty in the admins
tration permanent tariff bill intro
duced yesterday in the house will
range between Is and 20 per cent,
according to unofficial estimates, as
compared with 1886 in the Payne
Aldrich bill, Chairman Fordney OF
the ways and means committee, de-
clared today. The Underwood aver
age rate, he said was 6 per cent and
the Dingley average 26 IL per cent.
But when we are able to work
out accurately the correct figure it
will be found that new bill will run
slightly below the Payne-Adrich
measure" Mr.. Fordney said. "On
manufactured wool our rate is less
than schedule K"
The chairman said he was prepar-
ing statement in advance of his
formal report which would clear UP
many doubtful points in the bill.
Under a change of plans today the
measure will not be considered by
the full committee until Wednesday
after house members have returned
from the holiday over the Fourth of
July. 1t will be reported that day.
Democratic members of the commit
tee already are at work on minor
ity views.
The bill, as it stands. will be taken
up by a Republican caucus tonight in
an effort to reconcile all differences
so that the party may present
solid front when it is considered in
the house next week.
Mr.. Fordney Indicated that a rule
would be obtained which would pre-
vent amendments on the floor ex-
cept those offered by the committee.
Several loose joints, he said, would
me Strengthened out and the eXpecta-
ton is that the committee itself will
offer number of amendments. No
radical changes, however, are con-
templated, it was explained, unless
ordered by vote of the Republican
caucus.
Repeating Provisions
Attention was called to provisions
of the bill repeating the Canadit.4
reciprocity agreement " hich has been
operative since 1910 The president,
under the new powers given him by
the measure, is able, however, to pro-
coed Immediately after the passage
of the bill towards the making of
with any country with whom such
an agreement would be profitable to
the United States.
Many other repeating provisions
are contained in the bill, but most
of them deal with technical matters.
The measure also alters in a more
or less degree about half of the
customs laws covering the actual
passage of commodities through GUS
toms houses, methods of assessing
duties and other administrative def
nitions for the guidance of the GUS
toms force.
In connection with the appraisal
of values of shipments, the bill in
PRODUCES a new feature in authoriz-
ing customs officers to obtain veri-
fed statements of production costs
where such is deemed necessary. No
machinery is provided for the pur-
pose, however, other than that the
officers can demand affldavits cover
ing the information they seek.
Another noticeable feature of the
draft is the inclusion of many COM
modities not listed in previous tar
iff bills. A majority Of these, how.
ever, are the products of recent in
ventions and of development since
80
1913.
Study Wool Rates
Most Democratic members of the
house, after running through the bill
to determine how its schedules af-
fected their sections, turned to the
wool schedule particularly to see
how it's rates compared with the ia
nous schedule K of the Payne-Al-
drich tariff act Of 1909, which caus-
ed such a bitter fight. Just how
these rates compare is expected to
prove the subject of an unending con-
troversy.
Members studying the measure
found that generally rates proposed
were in many cases lower than cor
spending rates in the Payne-Al-
drich law, while others were CORE
spondingly higher. Many were of the
opinion, however, that only detail
ed study of the bill by tariff ex-
perts would provide the basis for an
estimate of comparison between it
and the Payne-Aldrich measure, as
the schedules of the new bill were
in many cases differently construct
ed
Compared with the Underwood bill,
which superseded the Payne-Aldrich
law in 1913, during the Wilson ad-
ministration, the new measure show