Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-12
DEMOCRATS L|KEN
NEW TARIFF BILL
To OLD STRAW HAT

WASHINGTON, July 10.-An old
straw hat was the article used by
Democrats in opening their attack
in the house Saturday on the FordneX
protective tariff bill to illustrate
their contention that it's rates were
higher than anything written into
the Payne-Aldrich bill a decade ago.
Representative Garner, of Texas,
ranking Democrat on the ways and
means committee in the course of a
two-hour denunciation of the meas
ure, seized the hat as the first OBJ
ject within sight and challenged Re-
publican members of the committee
to say off hand what duty had been
imposed upon it.
There was a moments hesitation.
Then, in the midst of a shout from
the minority side, Representative
Green, Republican, Iowa, arose from
his seat and brought an answering
announcing that it was printed in
the bill.
Still waving the faded headgear,
Mr.. Garner declared that in the
Payne-Aldrich bill the duty on that
product was so per cent, but in the
Fordney measure it was $40 a dozen,
plus an ad valorem duty of 20 per
cent, which made the actual import
tax, he added, 81 2-5 per cent. Com
parison of the two bills, he said,
wouldy 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 ever proposed by con-
greSs.
49, 1.;.,. A. A-.or;aa- valuation
provision, Mr.. Garner charged that
if it had been applied to the present
Underwood law, rates now being paid
would exceed the Payne schedules in
every instance.
Mellon Attacked
There were many sharp exchanges
while Mr.. Garner had the floor. Most
Of the verbal battles ragged around
the valuation provision and, Mr.
Garner declared that the most glar-
ing 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.
In quoting from letter received
from a manufacturer at Grand
Rapids, Mich, Mr.. Garner charged
that because of the peculiar condi-
tons entering into foreign produc-
ton the reed furniture rate figured
exactly 1897 per cent higher than
the Underwood tariff, which stipu-
lated duty of Is per cent against
the Fordney's so per cent.
With the. principal speeches for
and against the bill out of the way,
the debate was turned over to mem
bers generally, and it started with
rush under an agreement calling for
a solid week of talk.
The name of Secretary Mellon was
brought into the discussion by Rep
resentative Oldfield, of Arkansas, a
Democratic member Of the ways and
means committee, who described the
treasury secretary as one of - the
"beneficiaries" of the high tariff.
He said that "the MELONS of Pitts
burg control the aluminium indus
try of the United States and called
attention to the increase in duty to
five cents a pound on aluminium.
"Of course" he added, II am not
blaming Secretary Mellon. He did
not write this bill, had nothing to
do with it, but his group paid IL per
cent dividend on twenty millions of
capital last year, and I want to know
why it is necessary to give them
more"
Representative Green sought to
explain that the five cent duty
means nothing" to the consumer.
He illustrated his statement with
the cost of the old kitchen stew pan,
saying that less than half a pound
of aluminium was used in it's manu-
facture, but Mr.. Oldfield asserted
that whether the amount was great
or small, the consumer was being
taxed for the benefit of the manu-
facturer.