, 1921-07-28
MONDFL EXPLAINS
VOC SITUATION
Wyoming's Representative in House of
Representatives Answers Complaints
Regarding Work of Congress
For WOal Men.

vicious assault which was made on
old schedule X, and had there been
no ad valorem limitation in the
Fordney bill, the opposition to the
wool tariff, as we'll as the opposition
to all protective tariffs. was prepar-
ing to launch a most formidable
fight on the wool schedule and to
the entire bill, based on the propo-
sition that the Republican Congress
was placing a duty from 100 per ZEN
to 200 per cent on a basic material
Of manufacture Of wide and essen
tial use.
I do lot know how much effect
this onslaught might have had-it is
altogether possible that 1t might
have changed the attitude Of the en-
tire country toward this bill and to-
ward the wool schedule. And SO,
although and I would have preferred
to have had this ad valorem exclud-
ed from the bill, or made higher,
we must admit that under the pres
ent existing circumstances had there
been no ad valorem Limitation It
would have been possible to launch
a criticism against the wool schedule
and, through it, against the whole
tariff bill that might have been dis
astrous in it's effects.
Your third objection is "the bill
affords added protection to manufac-
turers under guise of compensation
supposed to be accorded wool grow
ers. but which they cannot obtain"
1t must be admitted that under GER
tain conditions of the market the
compensatory rates to the manufac-
turer would work out higher than is
fully justified. All that is a detail
than can be and should be studied
and corrected. It must be rememb-
cred, however, that In this matter of
compensatory duties the present bill.
whatever its faults may be claimed
to be, is much better than old SEIZED.
ule K. In that schedule some of the
compensatory rates to the manufac-
turers were so out of all proportion
to the protection afforded the wool
producers and so high compared with
ordinary protective rates as to form
the basis of a criticism of which we
not hear the last for many
years. While the present bill as it
now stands Is not perfect by any
means In this regard, it Is much bet
ter and much fairer than the COM
pensatory rates in any former bill.
In conclusion may I say that mem
bers of Congress from wool growing
states feel that they have not only
accomplished a great service to the !
wool industry and to the country in
having the wool tariff based on the
secured content, but that they feel
that take the schedule as a whole,
while 1t is not all they would like to |
have 1t, 1t Is SO much better than old
X that there is no COMPARE
son. While 25c a secured pound
specific duty, with thirty-five per
cent ad valorem as a maximum, may
not seem high, when reduced to
valuations making them
upwards Of thirty cents a pound in
one case and approximately fifty-Rve
ad valorem in another, they
certainly cannot be truthfully said
to be wholly unsatisfactory or wholly
inadequate.
There are many Of the provisions
in the thousand paragraphs of the
bill that are not satisfactory |
to the people directly interested.
There are many schedules which one
class of people believe too high and
another class believe too low, but 4
take 1t all in all the House has, in |
my opinion, performed a remarkable !
work-a work which taken altogeth-
er has commended itself to the judy
ment of the American people more |
than any tariff bill in my recollec-
ton.
The House has done the best it
could. We have not thought 1t wise !
to agitate the wool schedule in de- /
bate for fear instead Of improving
the situation we Nigh make it worse
could easily occur. The bill /
now goes to the Senate. II the SEN
ate will improve 1t as to the wool
schedule and other schedules to an
amount equalling but a fraction Of
the improvement made in the House
bill as compared with former bills, !
they will have done a most excellent |
work, and the House c%onferees will |
be found with an open mind ready to /
take up with the Senate any sugges-
tons OF modification that body may I
present.
The wool growing section of the /
country has q representation In the
Senate far in excess Of that In the
House compared with the entire
m~embership, and 1t will not requife
any extraordinary amount of amend.
ment to make the schedule referred
to quite Satisfactory to thoaA whose
vlew1 you, present. In the meantime.
let II not be forgotten that Tho House
has established q fair basis Of wool
tariff: has eliminated practically III
OF the Questionable features Of old
Aehedule KsAAd presented ! wool and1
WOODEN schednle that can b easily
modified and amended TO the 6skrSe]
necessary to meet the suwssstio4e1
you make.
Very truly yours,
Do II r. w NR0NSnMF E&gl