The Washington times., 1929-09-03
BIG
GU 7 IN
RATES

Fresh fsSpm a 10-weeks vaca-
tion, both major parties rallied
their forces in the Senate to-
day on the eve of a protracted
battle over the Administra-
tions new tariff bill.
The same old tariff arguments,
that have resounded through the
halls of Congress for three decades,
were busted off by orators in both
parties for use in the verbal wars.
Debate will last through September,
October and November, possibly
even through December.
n Slash Increases
The fate of the bill is somewhat
in doubt but there appeared every
indication that many Of the tariff
increases, approved by the House
and recommended by Senate Re-
publicans, will be slashed by the
Senate itself!
The date Of its enactment is
just a problematical, although with
Democratic cooperation, the bill may
become q law some time in
December. Some administration
leaders ha\e feared q futher delay
with a threat from Senator Watson
(R.) of Ind, that the bill will
be abandoned January l If 1t has
not then become a law.
The tariff debates will be an old
story to Congress. The Republicans
will contend the increases are
necessary to protect American in
dustry and labor from cheap foreign
competition. The Democrats will
charge that the higher rates put a
terrible burden upon the consuming
nublic. permitting extortion and pro-
fitering, without directly benefit
ting the wage-earners in industry.
But the Republicans win have the
advantage Of pointing to history
that the same arguments were made
by Democrats in 1922 when the last
Republican tariff bill was enacted,
and that the country has enjoyed
unexampled prosperity ever since.
Favor Farm Rates
One schedule in the new bill will
meet no opposition in the Senate.
This will be the section, levying
the highest rates in history upon
AGRICULTURAL products. Leaders in
both parties have agreed that ag-
riculture must receive greater tar
iff protection as an integral part
of the Governments program of
farm relief. The only question to
be debated will be whether the
tariff rate on farm products will
have any effect on agricultural
prosperity, so long as industrial
rates are increased at the same
time.
An effort will be made to strike
out all the Industrial increases, so
that the bill would contain only
an agricultural schedule. Senator
Thomas CD of Oklahoma will
sponsor q resolution to this effect,
but his own party stands divided
upon it. Senator Walsh (D) of
Massachusetts has urged his col.
leagues to oppose it as an un-
Democratic doctrine, because it
would deny to certain distressed in.
dustries the right to a hearing on
their pleas for relief. There was
a difference of opinion as to the
fate of this resolution, but Repub.
lican leaders insisted it would be
rejected.
Fight Dye Rate
The Democrats meanwhile were
prepared to center their attacks
upon a few important items in the
bill They were ready to support
moves upon few important items
in the bill. They were ready to sup
port moves to slash all the dye
rates, retained from existing law, TO
eliminate all increases in the duty
on sugar, to fight the increases in
duties on bricks, cement, watches,
hides, shoes, leather, wooIen rags,
steel, pig-iron, and to seek rejection
of many administrative changes, in
cluding the flexible tariff provision
and the Reed proposal for a future
conversion of rates from a foreign
to a domestic valuation basis.
Senator Smoot (RD of Utah, COM
mittee chairman, made his report
public today. with it's sweeping de-
tense of every item in the bill. It
contained a hint of Republican tao
tics in his reference to the coal-tar
chemical or dye schedule. He de.
clared the protection given this in
dustry in 1922 had been so success
ful that sharp competition among
domestic dye producers" had resulted
in lower price levels than those
existing In 1918.
Report Full
The Smoot report was volumi.
nous, covering every angle of the
bill and all its administrative fea.
lures. He laid the basis for Re-
publican defense of the bill in one
swoop, but the Senate undoubtedly
will ignore his conclusions to adopt
Its own-probably only after three
or four months of debate on the
bill.
r/sl w en-