Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-21
downward Revision.


committee have on the whole revised
downward the rates Of the House
| tariff BILL This In some measure
meets objections raised to the Hawley
bill by many persons throughout the
country-including large part Of the
press-and also the known objections
of President Hoover to the House bill.
But there is still a doubt that the
Senate committeeman have gone far
enough. Indeed, already there are in
dications that the bill as reported to the
Senate by the committee will be subject
to serious assault, and the probabilities
are that many of the rates will be still
further lowered. They will have to be
so lowered If they are to meet the
recommendations of President Hoover,
who in his call for special session of
Congress asked for a limited revision"
of the tariff.
The attitude of the President toward
the tariff bill is largely responsible for
the action of the committee Of the
Senate-the Republican members be 1t
we'll understood-for the revision down.
ward so far effected. The President In
the end has the power to veto. Mr.
Hoover's close freiends believe he would
not hesitate to veto a measure which he
considered unjust to American con-
sumers and unwise for the country.
Doubtless the influence of the Presi-
! dent for a Limited revision" of the
tariff will be still further felt when the
bill comes before the Senate for con-
sideration. And there is plenty OF EVIL
dence that he will have earnest support
in that body.
While the Senate committeeman have
reduced a number of the rates carried
in the House bill, they have failed to
make reductions enough to meet the
objections raised to the sugar duties OF
the House, to the House duties on hides,
boots and shoes, on cement and num-
Der of other items. On the other hand,
the Senate committeeman have taken
manganese from the dutiable list and
placed 1t on the free list. This Is
commodity used in the manufacture
of STEEL Placing manganese on the
free list is obviously of great advantage
to the Steel Trust and distinct dis
advantage to the American producers
of manganese, who will feel bitterly the
competition with Russian producers, 1t
is said. The attitude of the committee
on the commodity duty is so utterly at
variance with its attitude on hides, boots
and shoes and sugar, for example, that
it has aroused widespread criticism. The
theory of the Republican protective
tariff, it is charged, has been utterly
thrown overheard for the benefit of the
trust.
There is in sight long, hard fight
over the tariff bill in the Senate and
later in the conference between the
representatives of the two houses of Con-
gress. Doubtless public opinion will
have much to do with the final for
mutation of the bill. After 1t has been
completed by Congress it must go to
President Hoover for his approval and
he will have to determine whether 1t
is proper to sign it or not. 1t is obvious
that Republican President would not
care to veto a tariff bill drafted and
passed by Republican Congress. 1t is
just as obvious, therefore, that the ef-
forts of the administration will be to
bring about a bill which can be signed
by the President.
Such a bill would still be subject to
attack by the Democrats. No one could
expect the Democrats of the Senate
to give their approval to the tariff
measure drafted by the Republican
Congress, not even if the rates were no
higher than those imposed in the pres
ent tariff law. But the country as
whole, which has prospered under the
Fordney- McCumber act, the existing
law, might take different view from
that of the Democrats. Judging from
the past history, that is what the
country is likely to do.