Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-11
OPPOSES
FLEXIBLE RATE
PLAN IN TARIFF
Passage of Harding Pro-
posal Would Be a Sur
render of Power, Says.
Fate of Provision Soon
to Be Known; Modifi-
cations Are Suggested.

Washington. Aug. 10-(By The AS
, scciated Press. .)-Flexible tariff pro-
| visions designed to carry out President
Hardng's recommendation to congress
opposition Thursday in the senate that
their fate in the voting that must come
Friday under the unanimous consent
agreement appeared to be in doubt.
1t seemed to be fairly certain that be-
fore they could be approved they
would have to be modified 10 an even
greater extent than proposed IN a sub
stitute for the original plan proposed
Thursday by the financial committee
majority Practically all the demo-
Gratis and a number of republicans. in
Guiding Chairman Gooding and other
leaders of the agricultural-tariff bloc.
have indicated their opposition TO the
provisions in any form, while others
on the ma jority side have insisted upon
sharp curtailment of the broad auth
ority the committee has proposed shall
be given TO the president.
Under the committee substitute, the
chief executive would be authorized to
increase or CSCTtdSt lHEIll VII
in radius of 80 per cent if investi-
CATION developed that such action were
necessary to equalize 1.-The differences
in conditions of competition in the
principal markets of the United States
as between domestic and imported arti-
clcs Should a 80 per cent advance in
rates be found to be insufficient for
this purpose. the president after inves-
tigaton would be authorized to base
duties on the American wholesale sell
ing price instead of the foreign selling
price and then to increase or decrease
rates within a radius of 80 per cent
Restrictions Provided
Under notifications proposed by the
committee the executive could not
transfer acticles from the dutiable list
nor could he increase maximum ad
valorem duties written into the bill,
such as those on cotton goods and cot
ton gloves Also in considering prices
as factors in ascertaining the differ
ences in conditions of competition ne
could allow only reasonable profits
to be included in such prices.
Senator Lenroot of Wisconsin urged
number of additional notifications
which Chairman McCumber of the fl
nance committee said he would accept
if necessary to get the provisions writ
ten into the bill Instead Of changes in
rates being based upon differences in
conditions of competition, which
would include cost prices, transporta-
ton charges and other factors. Mr..
Lenroot insisted that they be based
solely on the differences in costs Of
production
The Wisconsin senator also objected
to the plan by which duties could be
advanced 80 per cent on the basis of
American selling prices, declaring that
such an increase might amount to 100
per cent or more on the foreign valu
alton. He announced that he would !
propose limitation in the increase,
Dossbly to Is per cent. measured on |.
foreign valuation.
Explaining provisions of the com ,
mittee substitute under which the tariff |
commission would conduct investiga
tjons and report to the president, i
Senator McCumber said these con-
tanned many features of the Freling |
huysen and other scientific tariff |
am endments
He stated however, that the com
nittee was not authorized to recon-
mend rates to the executive; that its
would be solely that of gath
ering the facts.
Walsh Disfavors Plan
Senator Underwood, the democratic
leader, insisted that the president even
If not bound by the tariff committees
as to rates. should
have the benefit of such rccommenda-
lions.
Constitutionality Of the flexible tar
if amendments was directly questioned
,y Senators Walsh of Montana, and
Pomerene of Ohio, democrats
Senator Walsh declared this was ian
astounding surrender of the functions
If congress to the executive. authoriz
ng him to exercise power which no
monarch can exercise
md a power quite like in h4racter
hat for the assumption of which
Kings have been brought to the blork.'
NO emergency, however grave" said
senator Walsh, ''can justify the sur
.ender into the hands of the president
# the taxing power entrusted by the
people to their representatives in CON
,ress. no matter how profound may be
lis craftsmanship nor how exalted may
,e his character.
"The fathers of this republic would
AVE been Mortified at the idea of re-
posing in the president the power to
impose customs duties. to raise or
over those duties. carrying with it the
to ruin or enrich the citi-
ZEN, to shower wealth upon him the
ike of which Croesus never knew nor
donte Cristo never dreamed Of"
Senator McCumber declared that
.ver since he had been in the senate
le had been listening to these great
lawyers" arguing about
Incenstitutionality of legislation and
hat in every instance they had been
,verruled by the supreme court.
Senator Walsh of Montana replied
hat the supreme court had held the
irst and second child labor laws and
he Lever act unconstitutional