New-York tribune., 1922-09-20
Senate Adopts
Tariff Measure
By 1928 Vote


tcsnsinuea frou, page ensl
would have gone into effect at midnight
had the House remained in session un-
til the Senate adopted the report and
passed the bill AS it is, importers
have another ewenty-four hours in
which to effect inportations.
After the conference report had been
approved, Senator McCumber obtained
adoption, after some difficulty, of two
resolutions making corrections in the
phraseology as to blackstrap molasses
and cocoanuts. Senator Underwood at
hrst blocked the one on blackstrap mo-
iasses, fearing there would be an at
tempt to hitch the dye embargo to it.
Senator Ashurst also threatened to
bring up the question of duty on long
stapte cotton in the same connection
The situation finally was smoothed over
ana the resolutions put through with
out objection, instructing the enrolling
clerks 10 correct the language. The
delay of the bill, however, was due to
the adjournment of Che House, and not
to the resolutions.
Underwood Opens Debate
Senator Underwood opened the de-
ate and attacked the bill He assailcd
le high taxes" provided for and de-
,lared they were all the more indie
ensiblc because the cost of living
slrcady was burdensome to the Amer
lean people. He charged that the Re-
publicanS had imposed the high duties
not for the purpose of raising revenue
out for the avowed purpose OF raising
the price"
Senator Underwood criticized the
high rates of the wool schedule. as
Lat of
900 900 would be put in the pockets of
special interests, and engaged in run
ming discussion with Senator Gooding,
Of Idaho, who defended the wool sched-
ule and especially the 3S cent rate on
raw wool for protection of tac wool
producers.
Senator Underwood said the small
growers would benefit slightly, but this
would be more than overcome by the
increased price of clothing
You're not only increasing the tariff
on raw wool but also on the finished
product from 33 per cent in the exist
ator Underwood. He added that the
rates were higher than in any tariff
bill in the history of the country.
Senator Smoot followed with a de-
Tense of the bill
"All the criticism that has been
hurled against the bill from the other
side said Senator Smoot, "has one
ring, and that is that we are building
the protective wall so high that it will
not allow foreign goods to enter. |
want to state now that this law will
not have that result. l admit that i'm
portations of foreign goods will be cur
tailed, but that curtajlment will not
hurt the consumer. If there is one
\, \ f,,Il i - Tod
it is that imported goods arc sold in
this country as high as the consumer
will bear"
Senator Smoot dwelt at length on
the wool schedule and defended it. He
said schedule K of the PayneAldrich
bill was obnoxious to The American
people and justly so on account Of the
concealed protection, but the present
schedule was not open to that objec
tion. He said the new rates in the
wool schedule were not as high as the
emergency rates and he scored mer
chants who are advertising that the
new rates will increase the price of
woolens.
Senator Bursum, of New Mexico,
Republican, author of the Bursum dye
rate amendment in the Senate bill,
scored Senator Smoot for fighting the
Senate rates in conference.
eve must have in this Senate a
square deal" said Senator Rursum
"We will not tolerate legislation by
conferees'
He added, however, that he would
not seek to force the bill back to
conference, since the result might be
no tariff legislation.
Senator Harrison, of Mississippi,
made a vitriolic speech against the
bill and accused Senators of barter
ing" for duties on favored products
John 7. Adams, chairman of the Re-
publican National Committee, issued Il
statement on the bill that said in part:
"The newly enacted tariff has met
with the charge that it will increase
the cost of living. The same charge
has been made in advance of the oper-
alton of every protective tariff, and in
every instance after the tariff became
fully effective the workingman was in
better shape than he was prior to its
enactment. The cost of living is deter
mined by the amount Of money there
is left in the pay envelope after all the
expenses of the household have been
met. Under protective tariff this
amount always has been greater than
under free trade. There cannot pos
sibly be any higher cost of living than
that of being out of job. 1t little mat
ters to the workingman how cheaply
he may buy commodities if he has no
money wherewith to buy"