The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-11
President Has. Power To Fix
the Rate on Many Items.
FARMS DERIVE RICH BENEFIT
East's Manufacturing Interests
Hard Hit However.
FOrdney's American Value Plan
Is Lost by This Bill.
FULL RATES ON PAGE 2

Washington, April 11.-After many
months of delay, the so-caHed perma-
nent tariff bill, radically different in
many important respects from the
form in which it passed the house last
year and revolutionary in some of its
new administrative and other vital
provisions, was finally reported favor
ably to the senate today by the Re
publican majority in control of the
senate finance committee.
An agreement that the bill should
not be taken up in the senate until
Thursday April 20, was reached when
the meas ure was considered for the
first dina by the full Republican and
Democratic mem berShip of the senate
finance committee before the measure
was reported by its Republican ma
jority. All of the ten Republican
Committee members except Senator
La Toilette. of Wisconsin, voted TO re-
port the bill. The Democratic mem
bers, except Senator Jones, of New
Mexico, voted against reporting IL.
Jones refused to vote at ali on the
plea that he had not been given an
opportunity to even read the bin and
that he did not know what it was all
about.
For the first time in the long. event
full history of tariff making and un-
making, the president would be vest
ed by the bill with sweeping discre-
tional power to change and fix rates
on imported articles and to even bar
completely foreign products from this
country whenever he deemed trade
conditions warranted such action on
his part
Another entirely new departure in
tariff legislation made by the bill is
the establishment of high protective
duties on agricultural products which
have heretofore been invariably placed
on the free list in both Republican
and Democratic tariff measures.
Farms Are Aided.
While the farming and livestock in
terests of the west and southwest are
expected to derive rich benefits from
the bill, the manufacturing interests,
particularly of. the east. find them
selves in the unprecedented position Of
being deprived of their customary
share of compensatory duties because
of the impracticability. the bills au-
thors contend, of their being given
rates on manufa ctured goods proper
tlonate to those imposed upon raw
materials upon which they have here
tofore had to pay no duty.
It is believed, however, that despite
the pronounced dissa tisfaction with
which the manufacturing and import
ing interests may regard the new
tariff system proposed that the 'agri-
cultural tariff bloc" an offshoot OF
the original agricultural bloc" will
force the passage Of the bill eventual
ly in much the same form in which
1t left the hands OF the Republican
senators who dominate the senate
finance committee.
The bill will raise approximately
between 20O.O0O,O00 and $500, ,OOO,-
600 in revenue, II is estimated.
Aids Country as Whole.
Almost everything that the average
man or woman eats or wears. nearI5
every necessity of life has imposed
upon it by the bill a tariff which 81
expected to maintain the present cost
of the domestic article. while provid-
ing it with ample protection from its
foreign equivalent.
Administration officials contend that
the general effect Of the proposed
tariff wall" would be beneficial to
the country as a whole, and would
restore prosperity and maintain pro-
duction and wages at a high standard.
whatever high prices might ensue.
The Democrats are planning to
make political capital out of this. as
well as other features of the bill but
administration leaders profess conf
dence in their ability to muster ample
votes to force it thru both the senate
and house.
Foreign Valuation Plan in.
A row between Republican leaders
of the senate and house over the sys-
tenn of valuations to be employed as
a basis for the bill is regarded as in
Chairman Fordney and his
Republican associates Of the house
CONTINUED on Page Tnree)