The Washington times., 1922-02-26
TARIFF CHANGE
NOT EXPECTED
! TILL ELECTION
Bill Passed by House Sum-
bers In Senate Committee
on Finance.
DEMOCRATS OPEN ATTACK
Charge Republicans With Bad
Faith for Failure to Keep
Campaign Pledges.

It is now a pretty well settled
conviction that no tariff bill Will
be enacted by Congress at this
session. Despite all the promises
Of the majority party. 1t seems
strongly to appear that the coun-
try will have to worry along
under the old Underwood tariff
rates until a more convenient
season.
The Finance Committee which has
been struggling with the tariffmees-
ure for many months is unable to
give any definite assurance as TO
when the bill might be reported.
Even after the draft is completed
10 many complications are likely TO
ensue that passage at this session
appears out of the question.
Democrats Prepare Attacks.
As a consequence, Democratic
orators already are beginning TO
add to their stock OF war materlal
the charge that the Republican ad-
ministration has failed to Keep lts
campaign promise of tariff revision
Just as they are charging that taxes
have not been reduced and that the
incomes of the rich have been per.
mitted to escape their just share OF
taxation.
The tariff bill passed the House
20 long ago that most OF those VINO
framed II have forgotten just when
AZ was. It went to the Finance Com
mittee early in the fall and promises
we're made that It would be out OF
the committee in September. But
September passed and then came the
adjournment in November, and still
the bill remained in the committee.
Upon reassembling Of Congress IN
December Republican leaders said
the bill would surely be before the
Senate that month. Only few days
before Senator Penrose dled ne
stated the bill would be reported by
December 30. On the Senator'S
death the reins were taken over by
SENATOR McCumber with whom now
rests the task of whipping the Dill
into shape for presentation to the
Senate.
Bill In Same Condition.
Senator McCumber not long ago
fixed February Is as the date wnen
the bill would be reported, but the
passing of that date left the bill IN
the same condition as before.
Once the bill is reported 1t would
be impossible to get 1t through the
Senate in less than three months,
and with the leaders feverishly
working for a June adjournment
there is every indication that after
the bill does come out 1t will be lost
in the mad scramble of legislative
activities incident to the adjourn
ment. :.
Every member of the House and
one-third of the Senate are anxious
to get away in order to participate
In the campaigns in which their
seats are at issue.
With over 100000 articles in the
bill upon which tariff duties are to
be levied It may easily be seen that
It takes considerable time to dispose
Of a bill of this nature. And with
militant farm bloc" in Senate and
House, the way Of the tariff trainers
IL not calculated to be one Of
especial smoothness.
The greatest stumbling block In
the way of revising the tariff meas
ure is the question Of a proper
method of valuation. Chairman
Fordney of the Ways and Means
Committee put through the House
the so-called American valuation
plan" which possessed SO many ele-
ments of evil that President Hard
Ing himself. in his message at the
opening of Congress, felt con-
strained to state that It would
not do.
II meant that no matter how lit.
tie you had to pay for a pair Of
shoes abroad. II those same shoes
were shipped into this country you
would have to buy them at the high
er protective duties. 1t was de-
signed to fatten up a whole flock of
infant Industries" by keeping the
lower priced imported article out.
Elections Scarecrow.
Another thing that constrains the
Republican leaders to proceed slow
ly In framing the tariff is the spec