Evening star., 1921-07-10
TARIFF BILL TARGET
OF DEMOCRAT GUNS
Representative Garner Leads
Attack in House on Ford
ney Measure.
OLD STRAW HAT FIGURES
Republicans Are Challenged to
Show Amount Of Revenue Plan
Should Bring In.
OLD STRAW HAT FIGURES

| The Fordney tarin bill ran the
gantlet Of democratic criticism In
the Houss yesterday. with Repre-
sentative Garner Of Texas. ranking
minority member OF the ways and
me.ns committee. leading the attack.
| Mr.. Garner charged that the re-
publicans of the House could not
distinguish between the Fordney bill
and the Payne -Aldrich tariff law. He
/ went even further and declared that
the pending ill>carried rates far in
| excess OF the Payne -Aldrich law.
An old straw hat was brought into
| play during the wordy battle over
the tariff. Representative Garner
| seized the hat as the first object
| within sight and challenged repub-
| lican members of the committee to
say off-hand what duty had been i'm
posed upon IT.
There was a moments hesitation
Then in the midst OF shout from
the minority side. Representative
Green, republican, Iowa, arose from
his seat and brought an answering
shout from the republican side by
announcing that 1t was printed in
the bill
Says Rates Are Higher.
Still waving the faded headgear. Mr.
Garner declared that in the Payne
Aldrich bill the duty on that prodaIS.
was so per cent, but in the Fordney
~,
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 Fordney measure. The
average rate of the Fordney measure,
he added. was higher than any ever
proposed before by Congress.
Attacking the valuation provision,
Mr.. Garner charged that If it. had
been applied to the present Under
wood law. rates now being paid would
exceed the Payne schedules 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.. Gar
ner 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.
Higher Than Underwood Tariff.
In quoting from a letter received
from manufacturer at Grand Rapids,
Mich, Mr.. Garner charged that, be-
cause of the peculiar conditions en-
tering into foreign production. the
reed furniture rate figured exactly
1897 per cent higher than the Under
wood tariff. which stipulated a duty
Of is per cent against the Fordney's
so per cent. -F
Declaring that no other tariff bill
ever had been presented without a
statement showing the amount of
revenue it would bring in, Mr.. Gar
ner pressed Chairman Fordney and
others to give at least a rough esti-
mate. Nobody answered.
you don't know what the rates
are," he shouted. "and you don't
know the effect this bill will have
on the country. Having no informa-
tion. you seek to give none, being
satisfied to rush 1t through simply
because you have the votes.''
Representative Graham, republican,
Illinois, inquired whether Mr.. Garner
did not think It moro important to
aid domestic rather than foreign
trade.
you've got to have them both IL
you're going to have prosperity," re-
piled Mr.. Garner. This tariff will
cut or foreign trade because IT'S 50
CONTINUED on page 4, column 81