The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1921-06-02
IN NATIONS CAPITAL
President Harding Signs Emergency
Tariff Bill and 1t Has Gone
Into Operation.
Senators Organize a "Bloc" to Free
Farmers From Restrictions of
Antitrust Laws.

Antitrust Laws.
The emergency tariff bill has
been signed by President Harding and
has become effective. The new law
will affect for a six-months' period
most of the farm products and carries
a provision designed to prevent the
dumping of foreign goods in this
country. In event of passage by con-,
gress, however, of the Longworth
resolution, under which new import
duties would become effective imme-
diately on introduction of the perma-
nent tariff bill, house leaders said it
naturally would supersede the emer-
gency measure which carries only
few items compared with thousands in
the general BILL
A series of measures pending before
congress have been unanimously in
dorsed by % members of the senate
from western and southern states who
have organized an agricultural bloc"
Support was pledged to bills for free
ing associations of agricultural pro-
ducers from restrictions of antitrust
laws in marketing their products, for
regulating grain and cotton exchanges,
for requiring alleged wool fabrics sold
in interstate commerce to bear marks
indicating the percentage of wool and
shoddy content, for similar branding
of paints and for regulation of cold
storage. Regulation of cotton f,-
lures sales, as proposed by Senator
Diel, was also included in the list.
Chairman Kenyon of Iowa announced
that the "bloc" would meet again to-
day June p and consider any action
its members might desire to take in
supporting measures designed to pro-
mote the financial welfare of farming
sections.
Arguments against the sales tax
were presented to the senate finance
committee by Professor Fred R. Fair
child of Yale university and j. F. Zol-
lers, tax attorney for the General
Electric company, Schenectady, N. Y.
Both witnesses made deep impress
sion upon the committee, and the man.
ner in which their testimony was re-
ceived strengthened the steadily grow
ing impression that majority of the
committee will line up against the
sales tax. Professor Zollers con-
tended that the result of the operation
Of the limited sales tax in effect in
Canada did not furnish any important
evidence as to the effect of the general
turnover tax such as is being advocat-
ed in the United States. Professor
Fairchild expressed the belief that the
sales tax is advocated by those who
wish to see the burden Of government
shifted from those who pay income
taxes to the consumers. He said he
believed the ultimate abolition of the
income tax system is the purpose
which many sales tax supporters have
in view. Mr.. Zollers said that he had
convinced his clients that the sales tax
is unsound in principle and that they
could not afford to advocate it.
BY vote of "a to the senate
adopted Senator Borah's amendment
to the naval appropriation bill request
ing the president to call a conference
Of the United States, Great Britain and
Japan to consider reduction of their
naval programs.
President Harding will invite the
leading bankers of the large western
cities to the white house shortly tc
discuss plans for lifting of credit re.
strictions on agriculture and business
and general liberalization of the
policy of the government toward tho
banking interests. The president in
this series of conferences with the
financial powers, which began with the
white house dinner to the New York
bankers, aims to obtain the cooperation
of the bankers in improving the agri-
cultural situation and stimulating for.
eign trade, and to inform himself or
the notifications of the credit policy
by the federal reserve board deemed
necessary to revival of business ac
tivh :.
Farmers organizations, suspicion!
because the packers arc not fighting
the packing control bill now before tn,
house, have appealed to the commit
tee on agriculture to put more teetl
in the bill before it's passage.
Senator Boies Penrose, chairman o:
the finance committee, declared tina
prohibition enforcement is inefficien
and wasteful and that it must be re
habilitated. He proposes that en-
forcement be transferred from tn
treasury to the department of justice
and he is comforting on this with Davi,
H. Blair, new commissioner of interna
revenue.
Secretary of Commerce Hoover an,
Senator J. S. Frelinghuysen of New
Jersey, author of pending coal regula
ton bills, will confer in June with rep
resentatives of the coal industry. t.