Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-24
EMERGENCY TARIFF
BILL To PASS, BUT
IN REVISED FORM
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Ueased Wire Service to The Journal
(COnvriuht 1921


WASHINGTON, March 22.-The
decision of the Republican leaders
in congress in agreement with Presi-
dent Harding to pass the Fordney
emergency tariff bill in the same
form as it was vetoed by Woodrow
Wilson at the last session of con-
gress should be taken with a grain
of salt.
An emergency tariff bill will be
passed-that much is certain-but
many things point to the probability
of a revision of the Fordney meas
ure before it can pass. Everybody
knows that the Fordney bill as 1t
passed both houses during the last
session never would have had ghost
Of a show Of passage If there had
been the slightest chance Of approval
by Mr.. Wilson. Accordingly many
things were inserted in the bill. part
~ out Of a desire to satisfy certain
constituencies and partly out of an
effort to make sure that the bill
would be sufficiently, obnoxious tc
the Democratic executive as to bring
about its veto.
Leading Republicans have private
ly condemned the Fordney bill as I'M
scientific.
Perplexing Problem
The plan to revive the measure
and put it through both houses in
the same form as it was passed will
not succeed because many American
business houses affected by the
measure will demand hearings and
subsequent changes in the bill. When
once the Fordney bill is opened up
other changes will be insisted upon
President Harding himself already
has made one change-a request that
the measure apply. for six months
instead of ten. This will affect GER
tain schedules because already GER
tain changes in economic conditi ons
have occurred which render neces-
sary a readjustment.
Senator Penrose has indicated that
he means to go along with the plan
to pass the Gordney measure which
he originally wanted killed. There's
a story that Mr.. Penrose turned the
management of the bill in the senate
over to Senator McCum5er, Of North
Daokta, in the belief that the lat
ter by a combination with the DEM
ocrats would surely bury the Ford
ney measure. But Mr.. McCumber
turned out to be an ardent champion
Of the bill.
PerpIexing Problem Faced
The astute leaders of the Repub-
Iican congress are confronted with a
perpleXing problem.
They know that to revise the tar
iff in the present state of world
instability with costs of production
changing constantly and price levels
job, which may react politically. But
on the other hand, there are men
like Representative Fordney. of
Michigan, with whom the tariff is a
fetish and who must have tariff
bill put through to bear his name
along with Messrs,, Aldrich. Payne.
leaders of bygone days.
The real trouble. it is recognized.
will come If the Fordney bill sends
up the cost of living. Senator Nc
Cumber admitted during the recent
debate that the cost Of sugar might
rise and possibly other articles of
farmer and other industries and,
therefore. was a good thing in the
long run The politicians are not so
sure that a rise in the cost OF ltv-
ing right now would be received with
enthusiasm by the great body OF
men and women voters VINO eject a
new congress a year from next au-
tumn:
Caution Counse1ed
Eastern Republicans for the most
part are counselling caution and are
reminding the westerners Of the fact
that the Republican party lost con-
troll of the house in 1910 on precise
ly the same issue-the alleged rise
in the cost of living after the AL
drich-Payne tariff law was passed.
If the tariff were to yield an i'm
mense amount Of revenue and re-
lieve the mass Of folks of the high
income taxes, the leaders would go
ahead with firm step and jam 1t
through. but the, tariff, it it admit
ted, will not yield more than three
or four hundred million dollars in
program Of revenue raising that
requires at least four billion dollars
year. The situation may be sum-
med up thus:
Mr.. Fordney has had his way;
there will be a tariff bill bearing his
name, but it will not be the same
measure that was passed at the last
session and it will not go through so
quickly as may be surmised from
reading the announcement by the Re-
publican ways and means committee.
Indeed, the vast number Of interests
who let the Fordney bill go through
by default, so to speak, last time
because Of the certainty Of Will
son veto will have a great deal more
to say this time and may so prolong
the debate as to make acute the de-
mand after all for tax legislation be-
fore there Is tinkering with the tar
if laws.