Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-29
DEMOCRATS DRAW
TARIFF FRAY LINES
Senate Finance Committee
Minority Studies Final
Draft of Bill.
Nv the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
The Senate finance committee Demo-
Gratis we're ready today to go forward
with consideration OF amendments to
the Republican tariff bill in preparation
for the long. bitter controversy that will
move next Wednesday from the field Of
public statements to the Senate floor.
They had before them the final draft
Of the bill which will be presented by
the committee Republicans as the
product of their work through the Sum-
mer rewriting the House version. They
also had available special studies OF
various proposals in the measure made
for them by experts employed Tor the
purpose.
Publication Postponed.
The expected advance publication of
the committee majorityS report on the
bill, however, had been postponed UNI
til next Tuesday. The Democrats had
counted on having this available today
or tomorrow for consideration before
deciding whether to present minority
report
Brought into the open In its final
form yesterday, the majority bill showed
only a few important changes not al
ready disclosed to the public. 1t IN
spired. however, a fresh outburst OF
criticism from Democratic and Repub-
lcan independent opponents OF the
legislation.
Senator Harrison. Democrat, OF
Mississippi said it was even worse
than when it was passed by the House,
and Senator Nye, Republican, of North
Dakota, expressed the opinion that nc
tariff legislation at all would be better
than this proposal. Senator Wheeler
Democrat, of Montana, bitterly aSSalec
the removal of proposed manganese
rates. saying it would force the mines III
his State to close.
See Bitter Fight Forming.
MANY observers saw in the committee
majority's version of the administrative
sections of the bill new material for
controversy, which Is expected to riVa
even the sugar tariff debate in duration
and intensity. Complying with Presi'
dent Hoovers request for authority u
reorganize the tariff commission. thu
Republican committeeman retain TIT
House proposal to enable him to .aap'
point new members without waiting
for the terms of those now serving u
expire.
The House provisions to increase the
number of members from six to sever
and to permit their appointment With
out regard to party aftiliation, however
were amended, the committeeman pre-
ferring to retain the present bipartisan
nature of the commission with the
terms of Office reduced from IL to
years and each incumbent serving until
q successor takes Office. Their salarie:
would be $4,000 year as compared
with $500 under existing law. Tht
President could retain any member n
desired.
Under present law, the term Of Com
missioner Frank Clark of Florida ex
pires September Z. 1880; that of Edgal
B. Brossard, Utah, the same date il
Massachusetts,, 1884; Vice Chairman
Alfred P. Dennis, Maryland. 1886
Lincoln Dixon, Indiana. 1888, anc
Sherman j. Lowell New York, 1910.
The committee Republicans needed
the protest of Buffalo millers and struck
out a new House provision subjectine
Canadian wheat imported and milled ir
bond for export to Cuba to tariff equa
to the amount of duty preference which
Cuba grants American flour. which is
80 per cent. Southwestern millers hao
sponsored the new clause.
The text also disclosed the elimina-
ton OF the House proposal to deny the
80 per cent duty drawback on export
-four made from imported wheat and
restoration Of existing provisions max
ing the refund apply in cases where
AupOIUcu WIlGdI Was HllAeQ WlLn IlOL less
than 80 per cent American wheat.
The text also revealed a new pro-
vision authorizing Porto Rico to impose
a tariff on coffee, including coffee i'm
ported from the United States.
While the same duties levied by the
United States are collected on imports
to Porto Rico, coffee is now on the
American free list, and the duty au-
thorization, to apply only on coffee i'm
ported by Porto Rico, was regarded as
a step toward assisting in the rehabili-
tation of the islands coffee planters.
who suffered heavy losses during last
years hurricane.
Farm and Labor Provisions.
Another new provision would forbid
the Secretary of Agriculture to bar i'm
portation of nursery stock, fruits, vege-
tables, roots, bulbs, seeds or other plant
products unless they are infected with
disease or injurious insects. Existing
law is much more stringent and De-
partment of Agriculture officials said
they would fight for elimination of the
clause.
The bill would change the present
law to permit representative of or
gained labor to appear in reappraise-
ment cases and to inspect documents
of consignees and importers. together
with manufacturers, producers and
wholesalers, and make unlawful the i'm
portation OF any merchandise of foreign
manufacture If marked patented in the
United States.