Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-09
TARIFF |SATTACKED
IN MINORITY REPORT

WASHINGTON, May 6.-Develop-
ments today in senate consideration
of the pending tariff bill included
the filing OF the minority report
attacking the measure approval Of
the finance committee amendments
increasing the duties on Tactic acid
and an informal discussion among
Republican leaders of measures de-
signed to speed up senate action.
Night sessions beginning next
Tuesday, with view to forcing cur
tailment of debate, were among
subjects discussed by the leaders,
but no decision was reached. The
holding Of a party conference to
map out program also was com
sidered, together with suggestion
that senate rules be amended so as
to prevent unlimited debate. The
| latter received little support.
Three roll calls were demanded by
+ the Democrats on the Tactic acid
paragraph, but the committee
amendments under which the rates
on this acid would be from two cents
to nine cents a pound in place of
the house duties of from IL cents
to 5 cents We're accepted by sub
stantial majorities on almost strictly
party votes.
The minority report on the bill
was filed by Senator Simmons, Of
North Carolina, ranking Democrat
on the finance committee, who as
serted that if properly titled the
tariff would be termed IAN act to
mortgage the country and its re.
sources to the protected and rnonop-
olized Industries.
Declaring that the atmosphere of
the capitol had been surcharged for
eighteen months with the 'frenzied
clamor of the protected industries
for prohibitive rates." the reports
said these interests believed that
embargoes and prohibitions would
do for them now what embargoes
and prohibitions did for them during
the war.
1.-THE rates imposed in this bill"
the report continued, "are rates that
in their operation, while not en-
HANGING the price of labor or oper-
ating in anyway in the interest of
labor, will irresistibly tend to the
maintenance of present high profits
and prices of which the people now
complain and furnish an Opportu-
nifty to further increase these prices
while the power to further increase
these rates vested in the president
will operate as an invitation to in
woke the exercise Of these extra leg
islative powers when the prescribed
nnt ffaio 70 PnC atp6
the protected producers against the
risk of foreign competition in case
they may wish to raise their prices
above the level of the protection
against such competition afforded
by the rates written in the bill"
Senator Simmons further asserted
that proponents of the bill were
actuated by the belief that the only
way to accord protection against for
eign competition "is to double the
dizzy heights of the protection wall
and to SO out-Aldrich as to make
him and his memory anathema to
his quandom idolatrous followers.
Senator Simmons also said the
taxes proposed to be imposed by this
bill would be as real as those i'm
posed in the revenue bill and prob
ably would be as great or from three
to four billions of dollars. Assert
ing that the majority report had
made mo direct, positive or I'M
equivalent statement" and that there
had been mo serious discussion of
tho measure of protection upon
which the rates proposed were as
certained and determined" the sena-
tor said:
''In levying taxes imposing such
a stupendous burden upon the peo-
pie, burden from which no man,
woman or child can escape, nothing
could be concealed or left to con-
lecture which may be necessary for
the taxpayers to determine for them
selves whether the taxes imposed are
greater than is necessary to accom-
plish the purpose and policy sought
to be attained and established
whether they approve that policy or
not"