Norwich bulletin., 1922-08-11
OPPOSITION IN SENATE TO,
 PRESIDENTS TARIFF VIEWS

Washington, Aug. 10 (By the A. P.)- Flexible tariff provisions deLgned to carr yout President Hardings recom- mendaton to congress last December met with such strong opposition today iii the senate that their fate in the vot- Ing that must come tomorrow under the unanimous consent agreement appeared tu be in doubt. It seemed to be fairly certain that before they could be au- proved they would have to be modified to an even greater extent than pro- posed in substitute for the original plan reported today by the finance com mlttee majority.
 Practically all of the democrats and a number of the republicans including Chairman Gooding and other leaders of the agricultural tariff bloc have indi- catad their opposition to the provisions in any form, while others on the ma jority side. prominent among them Ser- ator Lenroot, of Wisconsin, have in sisted upon a sharp curtailment of the broad authority the committee has pro posed shall be given to the president. Under the committee substitute, the chief executive would be authorized to increase or decrease tariff rates within | a radius of fifty per cent if investiga- | ton developed that such action were necessary to equalize the differences in | conditions of competition in the prin- l cipal markets of the United States as l between domestic and imported articles should a fifty per cent advance in. rates | be found to be insufficient for this pur- rOse, the president, after investigation wculd be authorized to base duties or the American wholesale selling price ln
 stead of the foreign selling price ant 1 then to increase or decrease rates with
 n radius of fifty per cent.
 Senator Lenroot urged a number O
 additional notifications which Chair man McCumber of the finance commit l tee, said he would accept. if necessary to get the provisions written into tn 1 bill. Instead of changes in rates being
 based upon differences in conditions o competition,' which Woul dincude costs l prices. transportation charges and othc factors. Mir. Lenroot, insisted that the, be based solely or the differences i | "coats of production"
 The Wisconsin senator also subjecte'
 to the plan by which duties could he ad vanced 56 per cent on the basis of ih
 American selling price. declaring tha such an incrase might amount to 10 pr cent or more on the foreign valua Il ton. He announced that he would pro pose a limitation in the increase, possi bly, to 75 per cent. measured on foreig1
 valuation.
 Constltutionalitv of the flexible tarii
 amendments were directly questioned b
 Senators Walsh. of Montana. and Pome i rene, of Ohio democ~atg Senator walsl
 declared this was Ian astounding dele | gation- of the functions of congress t the executive. authorizing him to ez ercse a power which no constitutions monarch can exercise and a power quit
 like in character that for the assunr tioa of which kings have been brougi1
 to the block"
 No emergency. however grave" sat Senator Walsh "can justify the surrer der into the hands of She president ( the taking power entrusted by the 1ec
 pie 70 their representatives in cons grcs m matter how profound may be h 5 statssmanship. nor how exalted may
 his cl ai acter."