The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1922-08-23
Tariff Bill Is
Passed by Senate
MEASURE GOES TO CONFER
ENCE; NELSON AND KELLOGG
BOTH VOTE FOR 1T.

The Senate late Saturday passed the
Republican excessive protection tariff
bill by vote of 48 to 25, nearly two
to one. One Republican voted against
the measure and three Democrats fo1
it. Otherwise the division was strict
ly on party lines.
On motion of Senator McCumbe1
of North Dakota, chairman of the
finance committee, the bill was return
ed to the House with a request for a
conference. Senator Cummins of
Iowa, who was presiding, designated
Senators McCumber, Smoot and Nc
Lean, Republicans and Simmons and
Jones of New Mexico, Democrats, as
Senate conferees
Bill to Conference Early.
Usually tariff conference commit
tee spends from four to six weeks at
its job. The Republican leaders are
hopeful an agreement can be reached
about October 1 and the bill sent to
the President, thus giving those men,
bers up for reelection full month to
campaign.
There is some talk that the bill will
not be out of conference by election
day but the Republican leaders insist
it will be law by that time. Some
few of the Republicans want to send
the bill to conference and go home
until after election but their sugges-
ton has been vetoed
President Harding, it is understood,
will summon the Republican confere-
es to White House as soon as the
House acts and present the admins
tration view point on the controverted
points and also urge that there be as
little delay as possible in reaching a
final agreement.
Deliberated Four Months.
The Senate voted on the tariff bill
after exactly four calendar months of
consideration. The measure was taken
up April 20 and passed at the end of
August 19.
Senator Nelson of Minnesota return
ed in time to cast his vote for the bill.
Valuation Big Issue.
While the conferees will wrangle
a great deal over the question of
rates, the big issue will be valuation.
Representative Fordney of Michi-
gan, chairman of the ways and means
committee, has declared repeatedly
the House will insist on the American
valuation plan and is prepared to hold
out until snow flies. And snow doesn't
fly as early here as it does in Michigan
and Minnesota. Senate leaders were
quick to reject the American valuation
plan. The fact is it had very little
support.
The Senate went protection mad on
chemicals, including dyes, After the
House rejected dye embargo the
finance committee reported one. In
surgent Republicans, led by Senators
Kellogg of Minnesota and Lenroot of
Wisconsin, helped the Democrats de-
feat the embargo, but their work was
upset at the last minute when the
Senate increased the dye rates to a
point where Senator McCumber insist
ed they virtually were an embargo.
Wool rates were increased by the
Senate about one-third, the duty on
the raw product being increased from
25 cents a pound to 33 cents a pound
and on all manufactures proportion
ately. 1t was Senator Nelson of Min
nesota who charged the committed
with giving manufacturers 100 per
cent protection. But the wool ring
triumphed despite the protests of the
insurgents and Democrats.
Farm Product Rates High.
All rates on agricultural products
were boosted sky high. Increases
over the House rates averaged from
20 to 80 per cent The insurgent Re-
publicans happen to come from farm
states and did not begin their insur-
gency in earnest until protection on
farm products, except wool and cotton
and including live stock, had been ap-
proved. The result is the agricultural
rates are the highest in the country's
history excepting the emergency tariff
law and some of the duties are not far
from the emergency rates.
The finance committee also attempt
ed to put high rates on hides and shoes
, and leather. The insurgent group
aided by Senator Lodge and other G.
} 0. P. leaders managed to knock out
this provision which had been rejected
by the House.
The finance committee reported a
duty of so cents a thousand on shin
giles, but Senator Kellogg succeeded
in having these put back on the free
list as in the House bill. In addition
he got logs, poles and pickets on the
free list. The committee also tried to
tax wood pulp, but was defeated over
whelmingly on the floor.
Reductions Are Few.
The reductions forced by the insur-
gents were few and far between
When the country understood what
the high rates really meant, such a
protest was sent I'D that the insur-
gents could force slight reductions
But they failed on many of the most
important items.
The real trouble with the tariff bill
as revised by the finance committee
and approved for the most part by the
Senate was that the rates afforded
protection based on retail prices. In
the past the Republicans have pretend
ed to write protection based on differ
/. ence in cost of production while De-
mocratic tariff bills have been for re.
venue only, Senator Nelson told the
trainers of the bill in one of hi
speeches that they were giving pro
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