New-York tribune., 1922-05-17
Senate DevOtes
Eight Hours to
One Tariff Item
Committee Rate of 25 Per
Cent Ad Valorem OH Mus
tard and Other Curative
Plasters Is Approved
Valuation Issue Revived
CappcrDcnounces American
System as Affording a
Cover for Manufacturers

WASHINGTON. May l6.--The Senate
had the tariff bill before 1t for eight
hours to-day. but disposed Of only a
single item, approving the committee
rate of 25 per cent ad valorem on
mustard and other curative plasters.
The usual night session was abandoned
so that the Senate pages might attend
circus performance.
The session to-day began an hour
earlier than usual, with the expressed
view of experimenting with n meeting
in what had been denominated as "the
daylight hours" The progress made,
however, was unsatisfactory to those
in charge Of the bill. and decision was
had to resume night meetings to-
morrow, with continuous eleven hours
sessions as heretofore.
Much Of the discussion tot day was
of general character. IT. included a
prepared address by Senator Capper,
Republican. Of Kansas, head of the
Senate agriculture bloc, attacking
American valuation, and an extended
debate between Senator Gooding, Of
Idaho, chairman of the Republican
agricultural tariff bloc, and Senator
Underwood, Of Alabama, the Demo-
cratic leader, as to the value Of q
protective tariff to the agricultural
industry.
Harrison and McCumber Clash
Discussion was enlivened late in the
day by Senator Harrison, Democrat, Of
Mississippi, who accused the Republi-
cans of trying to delay the tariff bill
and wound up by a humorous reading
of the free list, with stress laid on
such items as dried blood joss sticks
and skeletons. This led to reply
from Senator McCumber, Republican,
OF North Dakota, in charge of the Dill,
who in n sarcastic vein said that what
some folks might describe as humor
really only was "hilarity."
While Senator Capper was denounc-
ing American valuation in the Senate
as a system desired by some manufac-
turers because they believed by it they
pie the extent to which they desire to
raise rates" Chairman Fordney of the
Ways and Means Committee urged that
system in the House. Mr.. Fordnoy had
table piled high with imported arti-
clos on which he said the government
was defrauded by under valuation
through the foreign valuation system.
Cost Estimated at Si7,600, 900, 600
An estimate that the ultimate cost of
the tariff bill to the American consumer
might total $4,000 900 Doom was pre-
sented to the Senate by Senator " ash,
Democrat, of Massachusetts,. He ex-
planned that Senator Shortridge, Re-
publican, of California, had estimated
the cost to each person in the country
of the duty on olive oil to be four cents,
and that taking this as the average
cost for each of the 1000 items in the
bill, the total would be as given.
Senator Smoot, Republican. of Utah,
said this was unfair, as only per
cent OF the olive oil consumed here
was produced in this country, adding
that he could see no reason for quot
ing the figure, except to attempt to
Empress the American people with
something or other"
Calling attention to the fact
that the total income Of the wage
earncrs of the country was only
ssoo0,o 100000 year. Senator Nc
Cumher said the public could not
spend more than it made He
added that, according to the argument
of the Democrats "if there's no tariff
we could all live for nothing"