The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1922-09-16
lSHtNGfON LETTER.
Scoccocoo Coo cccocc0


Washington.-Tre chances are even |
that the Republican tariff bill now
before the conference committee. Will
have been agreed upon by that COM
mittee by September 2Oth. The chances
are better that the bill will receive the
signature of President Harding some
time between October first and fifth.
The efforts fthe anti-protection press
and of importers propaganda to create
deadlock in the conference, or 10
give the impression that the bill will
die in conference have been, and will
be utterly futile. The report that the
Republicans are afraid to pass the bill
on the eve of the Congressional cleo
lions because they think it will lose
The House to the Democrats is false.
As matter of fact the bill is pro-
cceding to its conclusio min conference
faster than anticipated by the most
sanguine OF the conferees. 1t was
Though ut one time that the American
valuation plan which originated in the
House would prove TO be bone of
contention between the Senate and
House conferees which would delay
the bill for some time. That has been
tut over for later consideration and
every indication is that satisfactory
adjustment will be reached when it is
finally taken up. The same may be
aid Of number of other contested
amendments Senator Smoot is author
ity for the statement that the tariff bill
would be law by October first. Chair
nan McCumber is even more optimis-
tic. and Representative Fordney eX-
presses the belief that the bill will be
cmpleted so far as Congress is con-
@erned, by September goth. These con-
ferees know what they are talking
about, for they are handling the meas
ire. The newspapers and the gossip
mongers who oppose the bill, do not
know what they are talking about and
such statements as they may make
other than those expressly authorized
by the conferees are not to be relied
upon and entitled to no credence.
Ever since the tariff debate opened
in the Senate predictions have been
rife on the part of opponents Of the
bill that it would never become a law.
The wish was father to the thought
The campaign against the bill was
permitted to get under full steam BY
the prolonged fillibuster of the Demo
Gratis, who exhausted days on unim-
portant schedules. AS Chairman Nc
Cumber said, when the chemical
schedule was up, we have wasted IS
hours on four cents worth of formic
acid" Sensing the fact that the Dem
ocratic filibuster was staged for the
purpose of giving time to the import
ers' combination TO mobilize their
licans seized the opportunity to make
a counterattack by showing up the
greed of the importers, and the report
CT this engagement is compressed into
Il most historic tariff document en-
titled Imported Merchandise and Re-
tail Prices" 9th Congress I'd Ses-
sion. This showed by actual figures.
officially recorded. the profits of i'm
porters on the landed price of foreign
goods ranging from 157 to 2370 per
cent. Photographs of the articles were
given, and the slaes slips accompany
ing the purchase of these articles. 1t
was the worst Knockout the free
traders have received nthe history of
our tariffs.
The Republican tariff-framers hav-
ing put their hands to the pillow have
displayed no intention of turning back.
They will enact a measure which car
ries the lowest average ad valorem
rate on all imports that has ever
characterized Republican law, and
which, when deprecated foreig ncur-
rencics are considered, spells protec-
tion with mighty small "p". Fol-
lowing the enactment of this bill will
come the usual pack of falsehooods
and traducing of the trainers. But if
this country is still for protection, and
there is every indication that 1t is, the
voters will stand by the Republicans
and the tariff law they have passed in
the face of the most thoroughly or
gaized opposition Congress has ever
known