Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-23
THE TARIFF IN CONFER
ENCE

ENCE
The republican high tariff bill
passed the senate by a practically
unanimous party vote. One repub-
lican Senator voted against it. That
was Senator Borah Of Idaho. Two
more would have voted against it
had they been there, we are told,
but they we're absent without pairs.
They were Senator LaFollette Of
Wisconsin and Senator Norris of
Nebraska. It took the senate just
thirteen months to pass this bill,
which was passed by the house in
a few weeks. But the house put the
bill through under a special rule
with very scant opportunity fur
nished for debate. AS it comes
back to the house from the senate
it has more than two thousand
amendments added to the original
house bill. It will take a good deal
of time to even go over these
amendments. There is talk that
the conference committee hoped to
get it back to the house and senate
for final action about the first of
October. Then it will go to the
president for his signature, and
election day will be close at hand
before it goes on the statute book.
1t is said in Washington that this
long delay in passing the tariff bill
was planned by the republican lead
ers SO that the voters would not
have a chance to learn by practical
experience how the tariff operates
to raise the cost of living on them
until after they had cast their votes.
That may be good political strategy
as far as the 1922 election goes, but
the really important election comes
in 1924, and by that time the con-
sumers will have no of
doubt as to what the republicans
did to them in boosting the cost of
living and they will be in a mood
to smash that party. That is not
democratic opinion alone. Some of
the leading republican newspapers
of the country have been warning
the republican tariff leaders of the
wrath to come. The New York
Tribune has been advising congress
to adjourn and let the tariff slide
for a time rather than to accept re-
sponsibility for it before election.
The senate, having finally dis
posed of the tariff bill, nov takes
up the soldiers bonus bill and that
will take up a good deal of time. 1t
is conceded that if it comes to a
vote in the senate it will pass, but
there is some doubt whether it can
be brought to a vote, more doubt
whether it can go to the president
before election, and some more
doubt as to whether the president
will sign it if it does reach him.
An effort to fix a date for voting
on the soldiers bonus bill in the
senate failed most emphatically the
other day. A lot of senators are
primed for speeches on it. Several
have important amendments to pro-
pose, and several have substitute
bills to present.
After the soldiers bonus bill has
been disposed of comes the bonus
bill for ship owners Unlike the
soldiers bonus bill, this gift to the
ship is to be a perpetual
one, amounting to some fifty mil
lion dollars per year. This is a big
ger annual subsidy than all the
other nations in the world put to-
gether ever offered to their ship
1t is in addition to the
practical subsidy they now enjoy in
contracts for carrying mail at most
extravgant figures. No n ex-
poets that bill to pass before cleo
ton. Perhaps it may get through
after election. But there is plenty
of political dynamite in it, whether
it passes before or after election.
1t would have no chance to pass at
all except for President Harding's
urgent solicitation in its behalf. 1t
seems to De a pet measure of his.
He IS as enthusiastic about it as
the congress is cold about it. Its
support in congress is largely con-
fined to the sea coast states.