The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1921-07-28
WASHINGTON NEWS
LETTER
BY PARKER LA MOORE
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The passage of the Fordney tariff
bill by the House last Thursday mark
ed the first step in the accomplish
ment Of the two major purposes fol
which the present special session wa:
COLLABORATION of tariff and tax laws
The bill passed by vote of 287 tt
127, and the vote was largely along
party lines. Seven Republicans. in.
GLIDING Representative Sinclair, OF
North Dakota, voted against the bill
while seven Democrats lined up on the
roll call with the majority party.
AS the bill finally passed the House
finished lumber, hides, leather, stoes,
oil and cotton were left upon the free
list. The dye embargo, so bitterly
opposed by Representative Frear, of
Wisconsin was knocked out. West
ern members fought consistently for
a duty on hides but failed to win the
necessary support by their refusal to
combine forces with the advocates of
a duty on leather and shoes. Men,
bers from some Of the Pacific coast
states asked for a duty on finished
lumber but were strenuously opposed
by Representative Young of North
Dakota, a member of the committee,
who opened the fight against a duty
on lumber on the floor of the House
some days before the Fordney bill
was reported. Members Of the Min
nesota delegation also stood for free
lumber.
Representative Burtness and Young
both voted for the bill.
The bill is now before the Senate
Finance Committee while the House
. Committee on Ways and Means is al
READY we'll along with the work of pre-
pairing the tax revision bill. Chair
man Fordney, of the House commit
tee, has announced that he will re-
port the latter measure in record time
and if this is the case it is understood
that the tax law may be acted upon
in the Senate before the tariff law
is taken up. This plan has many adj
vocates and it is believed that Presi-
dent Harding would favor such q
rcQPse Exponents Of giving tax leg
ziSlktion such priority in the Senate
.noint to the fact that the Young emer-
g9ncy tariff law, already on the stat
ute books, is providing temporary pro-
lection for American interests and
that therefore the tax law should now
receive first consideration. The House
committee did not favor such a course
but it is understood that party lead
ers in the Senate do. Then, too, it
is considered more than likely that
changes will be made in the House
tariff bill while it is in the Finance
Committee and this, Of course, would
necessitate some delay in the final
enactment Of the tariff. In the mean
time, it is argued, the tax bill might
be disposed Of.
The power Of the administration
again manifested itself in the Senate
when Senator Lodge, the majority
leader, launched an attack against the
Norris farm export bill. Enactment
of this measure, which would create
a Federal corporation capitalized at
800, 900, 900, with additional power to
float bond issue of $100,000,000 to
finance the sale of surplus American
farm products abroad, would be "ab-
solutely destructible to the credit Of
IHc COuIltIyS dCCOAuHS W 0CAOsVA
Lodge. The Senator also declared
that it would destroy the value of
Liberty bonds.
With the opposition to the bill ap-
parently drawing considerable
strength from both sides Of the Sen
ate it would seem that there is little
chance for the passage Of the Norris
bill. Its opponents charge that such
legislation is not in keeping with the
Presidents oft repeated slogan Of
"less government in business" and Of
ficials Of the Treasury Department
have voiced their opposition to its en-
actment. So if the fate of the SOL
diers bonus bill after the President
had directed his guns against it is any
criterion the Norris farm bill is also
doomed.
In spite of the action taken by the
Senate in shelfing the adjusted COM
pensation act its proponents are far
from down-hearted and are even now
busily laying the foundation for q
spirited fight to have the bill taken
up in the House where it is known to
have many friends. Major John G.
Emery, Commander of the American
Legion, is here now personally direct
ing campaign and plans have already