The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-14
HOUSE WI[LNOT ACCEPT SENATE
 TARIFF MEASURE
Fordney Says Members Will Stay in Washington Until the Snow Flies Rather
 Than Vote For Bill
By HUGH W. ROBERTS Washington Bureau. The Age Herald.
 kOO Davidson HuiIdin

Washington, April 13.- Special )- If. after a word battle of months duration. the Senate passes the tariff bill, passing it's rates on American valuations. the House. according to Chairman Fordney of the ways and means committee, which insists that rates be based on European valua- ticns will refuse to accept it.
 We will remain Tn Washington un- til the snow flies" was the way he expressed the attitude of the House
 The bill as is came from Fordneys comufitte contains rates higher than ever before imposed Tn this country If European valuations are consid cred, the rates, according to demo cratic tariff experts. would be pro hibitive. The bill that the Senate committee has reported to the Sen ate may also be made oppressive, its critics contend.
 For it authorizes the President, whenever it develops that a foreign manufacturer can put goods in Amer iea cheaper than American manufae- turers can "profitably" produce them. to increase tariff rates so as to give proper" protection. Under either bill, 1t is obvious that American con sumers would not benefit from inter national competition.
 Politicians Are PanicLy
 The deadlock between the houses means that there will in all prob ability be no tariff bill. The Pres ident insists that bill be enacted. Republican politicians likewise in- sist. Business, which profits from protection. insists, and business, it is said, is withholding contributions from the republican national com mittee because of the party's failure to enact a tariff bill in order that if might be protected.
 But tariff experts of both parties are aware, and even republican ex- perts in private agree with demo- cratic, that the time is out of joint for the enactment of a permanent tariff statute. The world, it is point ed out, has not returned to an even temperament" since the disturbances of war, and for the country and the politics of the country a tariff bill, according to the contention, would be dangerous.
 At the same time. the situation is exceedingly uncomfortable to repub licans who must face the people the coming fall. Business conditions  cans, aware of the effect that fact will have on politics. check their ap- plause sharply. For the conditions improve under the operation of the democratic tariff act of 1912.
 Where Shoe Pinches
 The inordinate prosperity which followed quickly after the first novel effect of that law, was attributed by republicans to the war in Europe. But republicans, who assumed power in Congress in 191Ss dared not to change that law. They dared not to charge pre-war depression to the tariff, because they had not and could not change it.
 And times now improve. The re- publicans. 1t is apparent, are about to be caught with the goods" and their political scheme on which they have always insisted on their elec- tion to office. Is about to be proved fallacious.
 The indications are that the repub- licans will have been in office five years before the Underwood Is sup planted by the Fordney tariff. This would be an unprecedented feature of American political history.
 And it will give democrats some thing other than "Newberryism" and republican ommissions. admissions and emissions. to talk about in the forthcoming campaigns.