The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-04-18
DEMOCRATS UNITE
TO FIGHT TARIFF
Present Solid Front To Emergency
Mea.ure-Vote on Instruction

Washington, April 14.-House
Democrats bound themselves
through caucus action today to stand
against the emergency tariff and
anti-dumping bill, and Representa-
tive Kitchin, minority leader, made
public simultaneously a statement
views of minority members Of the
ways and means committee bitterly
assailing the Republican temporary
tariff program.
Sharp differences arose in the eau
Gus on the question Of ~instructing
Democratic members to vote unre-
servedly against the emergency
measure but it finally was carried by
a vote of II to 20. After the caucus
Mr.. Kitchin predicted that "less
than a dozen Democratic votes will
be cast for the Young bill"
In the minority report the Repub-
hcans are accused Of tossing. into
the lap of 'three great trusts, the
packers, the sugar trust and the
wooden trust, .$775,o0o,o00 a. year,"
and of seeking to disbar any future
trade with the central powers and
smaller states in Europe through
"a subtle and dangerous joker" in
directing the secretary of the trea-
sury to fix the value Of foreign
money as a basis for levying duties
on imports.
The present bill is characterized
by the report as even worse than its
it's predecessor, the Fordney meas
ure, and it asserts that if any advan-
tage will injure whatever from the
new proposal it will be "the trusts,
spectators and profiteers." It also
calls attention to provisions of the
Republican national platform and
inquiries whether "any honest Re-
publican can sincerely vote for this
bill in the belief that it will reduce
the cost of living"
eve note that the bill has been
changed since the last session of
congress-" the report adds, from
the Fordney emergency tariff bill
to the Young emergency tariff bill.
Whether the ways and means COM
mittee thought the name of it's
chairman, MI. Fordney, attached to
the bill would discredit it or be-
,lieved that by attaching the name of
Young from the agricultural state
Of North Dakota it would mofe
easily fool the farmers, we can not
undertake to say. But there must
be some political significance in it,"
Figures are presented %purporting
to show that the actual increase in
living costs resulting from enact
ment of such a law will be about
$2,OOO,o OO,O 900 a year. The state
ment says that the bill would hand a
"gratuity" of sl25, 100000 annual
ly to the "sugar trust" $3.50, 900
annually to the "meat and beef
trust, the packers" and more than
500, Joe 700 a year to the income
of the "woolen trust"
Discussing the provisions of the
bill for fixing the value of foreign
money the report says:
"The German mark is quoted as
being worth $1.62 cents. If this pro-
vision of the bill becomes a law the
secretary of the treasury would be
compelled to calculate the German
mark as worth eight cents for the
bill states that the depreciation in
no case can be estimated at more
than sc 2-3 per cent. Duties on
goods from Germany thereby would
be increased 480 per cent; from
Italy, 200 per cent; from Austria,
$500 per cent; from Czecho SLOW
aka, Al per cent; from Finland, 81
per cent. from Hungary, 1,700 per
cent; from Jugo Slavia, 95 per cent