The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-08-18
LONG FIGHT
ON TARIFF
NEARS
Bill Will Be Highest Since
Civil War, Lawrence
Says.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Copyright, 1922, by The Argus.)
Washington, D. c., Aug. 1S.-The
end of one Of the longest tariff
battles in American history is here.
Coming out of it all is the highest
tariff bill since the Civil war.
For three or four weeks the bill
will be considered by a conference
committee of the hcnse and senate
and while both bodies must finally
approve the action of the confer
ence committee before the measure
goes to the White house for sigma
ture the chances are there will be
relatively few changes in confer
ence and that the debate on the
conference report will require only
a few days. Members OF both
houses are anxious for an adjourn
ment so as to be able to give their
undivided attention to the autumn
campaign so the urge for hasty
consideration of legislation from
now on will mean stepping on the
legislative accelerator in earnest
Repubs Not Satisfied.
| 1t cannot be said truthfully that
the Republicans themselves are
satisfied with the Fordney-McCum,
Der bill as it will be known in tar
if history. Economic conditions
| throughout ! the world have beer
uncertain and costs of production
| have been changing with the rise
and fall of labor prices since the
war. President Harding's reques
for power to proclaim other rates
if the new rates shall be found bur
densome or inequitable has beer
written into the senate bill AM
there's chance that this provi
, sion will receive much attention
|, in conference for there is on
school of thought which believe
the power granted is too large ant
, another which holds that the pOWe
: is too restrictive to be of any con
/ sequence as a corrective.
7 Future Revision Likely.
For 16 months the tariff has beel
on the calendar of both houses
!, Mr.. Harding called special ses
~ sion to consider taxation and tn
tariff in April, 1921. The emer
gency tariff bill was passed as
stopgap and it was argued that tn
: new measure would be 'perma
. . nent tariff bill", but as both tn
senate and house have gone deepe
into their tasks and learned NOR
about conditions of trade the wor
permanent" has gradually bee
eliminated until it is doubtfl
whether the leaders of either hous
. would care to predict that th
i Fordney-McCumber bill will go VI
: revised in the next few years.
g One factor which is now in tai
iff-making is the feminine vote. ]
= the past the influence Of the hOus'
0 hold matron was only indirectl
o sapplied through the masculine ba
nj lot. However, the woman Of Il
= house and her daughters who bu
9 things will have voice in the ma
u ter. Many retail stores who ha,
+ fought the new tariff bill have (
Q course large numbers of wome
e among their customers. They wi
u not hesitate to tell their custome
9 where the responsibility lies #
y higher prices.
10 Fear Wo0en Voters.
Congress has felt sensitive abo
. this from the very beginning. II
., best evidence Of it was in the vo
ls on free hides. The revolt in t
y senate came almost entirely b
y cause Of a recognition that t
=; - American peoples shoe bill wou
~ be increased and that women W
ers would remember such an !
crease when they went to the pol
= But skillful as the tariff make
have tried to be in avoiding the a
n tagonism of women there are ma
MI articles on which high duties ha
been proclaimed which will I'M
rectly increase the cost to the &C