Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-01-21
Iowa Representative Would
Increase Import Rates
On Farm Products
SEE OPPOSITION
Indications Are That House
Is in No Mood to Re-
adjust Schedules


| WASHINGTON Jan. 20 t4a-In the
face of opposition on the part of
republican party leaders to revision
of the tariff at this time, Rep. Dick
inson, of Iowa, republican, today pro-
posed an increase in the import rates
on more than a dozen farm COM
modities and the transfer of a num-
ber of others from the Iree to the
protected list. He introduced bill
tc that end and it was referred to
the ways and means committee which
must pass. on tariff LEGISLATION, but
predictions based on the lineup of
the house recently on the tariff
question for the most part were that
it would not get far.
Dickinson is leader of the farm
BLOC in the house and his proposal
is designed to benefit the farmer
While democrats and a number of
republicans from farm sections are
expected to favor a report of the
measure from committee democratic
leaders have declined to commit
themselves to any program on the
floor. Several days ago the senate
resolution which called for scaling
down of excessive" tariff duties as
a means of affording farm relief, was
tabled by the house by a rather
decisive vote. This result being con-
sidered by many as an indication that
the house is in no mood to readjust
tariff schedules.
Among the products the Dickinson
bill would afford greater tariff pro-
lection are cocoanut oil, cattle, cattle
hides. swine, extracts of meat, fresh
prepared or preserved; corn or maize,
including cracked corn; oil bearing
seeds, nuts and oils, expressed or
extracted.
While the Iowa representative was
making his move for farm relief
through tariff readjustments the
problem was the subject of discussion
before two house committees. APP
pearing before the irrigation commit
tee, L. j. Taber, master of the Ma
tional Grange, declared that his or
ganization was opposed to further
development at present of irrigation
and reclamation projects on the
ground that it would be "unwise and
unfair to agriculture" He asked
particularly that congress hold in
abeyance the proposed reclamation of
the Columbia river basin
While Taber was expressing his
views, the house agriculture commit
tee continued it's hearings on farm
relief preliminary to reaching de-
cision whether the revised McNary-
Haugen bill should be revised still
further by eliminating it's controver-
sial equalization fee provision.
-Four republicans on the agriculture
nnittee-Willians and Adkins, Of
Illinois: Ketcham, of Michigan, and
Thompson, of Ohio-have dropped
from the equalization fee camp, con.
tending it would be futile in the
face of administra ticn hostility to
the principle to attempt to have it
enacted into law
| While there were no further de-
fections in The McNary- -Haugen ranks
today, the shift in the position of
| the four republicans continued to
bring predictions that there probably
would be additional changes in the
/ lineup and that the equalization fee
was headed for the scrap heap. These
forecasts were made despite the an
nounced determination of Chairman
! Haugen, co-author of the bill. to
wage fight without quarter to keep
the fee principle in the measure
Opponents of the equalization fec
held their fire to hear Matt Grennan
a "dirt" farmer of Rock Falls, Ill.
on a new suggestion to remedy agri-
cultural ills and Oscar Bledsoe, Jr.
of Greenwood, Miss, outline as presi
dent of the Staple Cotton Growers
association, a proposal to insure cot.
tton producers from losses by season
able fluctuations of the market.
Continued on Page Seven)