The New York herald., 1922-08-20

The Senate changed the bill almost
entirely from the form in which 1t was
received from the House thirteen
months ago, Whereas the House. bill
provided for American valuations as the
standard for the levying of duties on
products received from abroad. the Sen
ators changed this, to foreign values.
which heretofore always has been the
basis of tariff bills. The. result was that
the Finance Committee which considered
the bill for many months, reported 1t
with approximately 1850 amendments--
many OF them important and many OF
them purely routine required by
changes OF valuation standards.
The outstanding feature Of the Ford
ney-McCumber bill is that schedule OF
high rates OF duty on agricultural prod
ucts. These high rates were written
into the bill at the demand of the SEN
ate agricultural bloc OF which Senator
Gooding (Rep., Tdaho), is chairman.
The rates apply to everything grown on
the farm, ranch or plantation, from
wool to soya beans, from cottonseed to
lemons and from milk and eggs to rice
Under Lash OF Bloc.
The Senate Finance Committee has
been under the constant lash of the
agricultural bloc. which has declared
that the farming industry never has had
adequate protection before and must
have It now.
Senator Gooding organized the bloc
which at the outset compromised twenty
six Senators, most Of them from the
West and middle West. The group was
composed solely Of Republicans, al
though throughout it's activities 1t has
had at least the moral support Of some
of the Democrats, notably the two
Louisiana Senators. Ransdell and Brous-
sard, who wanted their constituents to
have high rates on sugar.
The agricultural bloc, at several meet
ings, before the tariff bill reached the
Senate, prepared its own schedules
handing them to Senator McCumbar and
his associates on the Finance Committee,
with the word that unless they were
adopted the support OF the farming
State Senators would be most uncertain.
In the final analysis the bill con-
tained to-day moro than 80 per cent OF
the rates dictated by the agricultural
group. This odd condition led to fur
ther decentralization in the fixing ot
duties. Certain Senator'S realizing the
strength Of the club the agriculturis's
held over their heads. set out to get
everything they could for their constitu-
ents. The rates provided. therefore,
have been virtually all those that We're
asked by certain manufacturers and
special interests that were able to in
fluence some of the Senator's.
Log Rolling Employed.
Throughout the framing of the bill
in the committee and later on the floor
Of the Senate it has been apparent that
trading and log rolling In the extreme
have been resorted to, so that the bill
is little more than its opponents declare
| 1t to be, an unscientific measure simply
thrown together to satisfy special groups
| including the farmers.
The reason some of the Senators have
supported the bill at all is that 1t con-
tains provision never before written
into tariff measure, one bestowing on
the President OF the United States au-
thority to revise tariff rates without ref
erence to Congress. This section Ia the
outgrowth OF several resolutions which
have been introduced in the Senate In
response to the public demand that the
tariff be taken out Of politics so that II
may be administered on n scientific basis.
The power given to the President Is that
he may issue proclamations from time
to time increasing or lowering. within a
range of so per cent. each way. the rates
OF the Fordney-McCumber bill.
The President Is to receive informa-
ton from the Federal Tariff Commits
sion, the powers Of which are expanded,
and the rates are to go into effect within
sixty DAYS thereafter. The authority Is
limited as to time, July 1. 1924. having
been set as the date for its expiration.
The theory is that the chaotic condi-
tions existing throughout the world re-
quire a tariff law to be enacted so as
60 prevent American industry from
being overwhelmed by foreign competi-
ton. IL the President finds rates are
too high ne Is to lower them. Most OF
| the Republican support from Senators
who recognize that the log rolling
section had been written into the bill.
Interest in Wool Rates.
The rate on wool perhaps has attract
ed more attention than any other fea-
| ture OF the bill. The measure as II
came from the House fixed the rate at
| 25 cents a pound. but at the insistence
OF the agricultural bloc. and particular
~ those Senator's Interested in the rails
ing OF sheep. the rate was raised to 90
cents pound. This being for
raw wool 1t was necessary to
add to all the rates on wooden cloth
and manufactured wooden goods COM
pensatory duties which mean. according
to tariff experts, an increase anywhere
from 81 to $3.50 in the retail cost OF
suits and overooats. Ii has been said
on the floor. OF the Senate in the debate
that the high duties on wool would
mean not less than 5000, 100000 year
additional in the cost of woolen goods.
The rate on sugar is $3.50 a hundred
pounds. which means that Cuban
sugar. slice Cuba liz entitled to a q
per cent. tariff preferential. will be
dutiable at si.si hundred pounds. This
rate Ia an increase over that proposed
In the bill, as. reported by the Finance
Committee The committee rate was q
a, hundred pounds for word sugar. OF
81. so a hundred pounds for Cuban sugar
The cnoa atty of this increase Is APP
parent from the fact that the duty
In the Underwood law now In force Is
81 hundred pounds for Cuban sugar
Unlike wool. which IL free, the Under.
wood law puts a duty on sugar for the
purpose OF revenue.- -3tt4 fT
Figures. available tonight indicated
that the increase to the consumer due
TO the high rate provided In the bill
will amount to $l57. 900. 600 a year /,