Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-10
Straw Hat
Figures In
Tariff Row
Texas Democrat Challenges
Republicans to Name Duty
On Headgear Under
New Schedules.
Green Of Iowa Replies


, Washington, July 9.-An old straw
hat was the article used by demo-
Gratis i'll opening their attack in the
house on the Fordney protective
tariff bill to illustrate their conten
ton that its rates were higher than
anything written into the Payne
Aldrich bill a decade ago.
Representative Garner of Texas,
ranking democrat on the ways and
means committee, in the course of
a two-hour denunciation of the meas
urc, seized the hat as the first object
within sight and challenged republi-
can members OF the committee to
say offhand what duty had been i'm
posed upon it.
There was moments hesitation.
Then in the midst of shout from
the minority side, Representative
Green. republican, Iowa, arose and
brought an answering shout from the
republican side, by announcing that
it was printed in the bill.
Still waving the faded headgear,
Mr.. Garner declared that in the
Payne-Aldrich bill the duty on that
product was so per cent, but in the
Fordney measure it was $40
dozen plus an ad valorem duty OF
20 per cent, which made the actual
import tax, he added, 81 2-5 per cent.
Comparison of the two bills, he said,
would show the same scales running
through the 346 pages of the Ford
ney measure. The average rate OF
the Fordney measure, he added. was
higher than any ever proposed be-
fore by congress.
Attacks Valuation Plan.
Attacking the American valuation
provision, Mr.. Garner charged that
if it had been applied to the present
Underwood law, rates now being
paid would exceed the Payne sched-
ules in every instance.
There were many sharp exchanges
while Mr.. Garner had the floor.
Most of the verbal battles ragged
around the valuation provision and
Mr.. Garner declared that the most
glaring evidence of how it would
shoot rates skyward was to be
found in the case of reed furniture,
much of which is shipped here from
Japan.
In quoting from a letter received
from a manufacturer OF Grand
Rapids, Mich, Mr.. Garner charged
that because of the peculiar condi-
tions entering into foreign produc-
ton, the reed furniture rate figured
exactly 1897 per cent higher than
the Underwood tariff, which stipu
lated a duty OF Is per cent against
the Fordney's so per cent.
-.. Mellon Attacked. ..
The name OF Secretary Mellon was
brought into the discussion by Rep
resentative Oldheld of Arkansas, a
democratic member CT the ways and
means committee, who described the
treasury secretary as one OF the
"benehciaries" OF the high tariff. He
said that the MELONS of Pittsburgh"
control the aluminium industry of the
United States and called attention
to the increase in duty of 5 cents a
pound on aluminium.
Representative Green, republican,
Iowa, sought to explain that the 5
cent duty means nothing" to the
consumer. He illustrated his state
ment with the cost of the old kitchen
stewpan. saying that less that half
a pound of aluminium was used in
its manufacture, but Mr.. Oldheld
asserted that whether the amount
was great or small, the consumer
was being taxed for the benefit Of
the manufacturer.
Representative Monde1l, republic
can floor leader, spoke briefly near
the close of the day, paying tribute
to the republican members of the
ways and means committee for the
work they had done in drafting the
bill. He declared that notwithstnd-
ing the many handicaps under which
the bill was framed, this bill has
met with a more favorable response
from the country than any like
measure in generation" and added
that "this approval will, in my opin-
ion, grow rather than diminish as
the provisions are examined ard
analyzed."