Evening star., 1929-12-13
SPEED IN TARIFF
ASKED BY NATION
Demand Is Not for Particular
Kind of Bill, but for
Prompt Action.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.


The coalition which now has control
of the tariff in the Senate is aware
that important business considerations
are calling for early action. Some
though not all, the coalition concede the
demand is reasonable. Since the be-
ginning of the session last week, Sem
ator Borah has taken the position that
the Senate should keep at work on the
tariff in order to facilitate "a favorable
psychological condition in the coun-
try" Senator Borah has tried to limit
debate on matters interposed ahead of
the tariff.
The wish coming from the country for
promptness of action looks to prompt
ness regardless of the particular kind
of tariff that may be written. The
sources Of this urging are much broader
than the business interests to whom
tariff rates are a direct concern. They
include many lines of industry and
business leaders who do not care
whether the tariff is high or low. The
wish for promptness is based on the
assertion that the only, or at least the
largest, area of uncertainty now exist
ing in the Nations business is uncer-
tafnty about what the tariff rates will
be. AS it was put by Senator Allen OF
Kansas, the wish is that the Senate
should "join with the other influences
that are cooperating with the President
to secure sterilization in a time OF
need"
Few Industrial Changes.
The duration Of the remaining Senate
debate could be startlingly brief. The
impulse toward cleaning the matter up
with a quick conclusion exists to some
degree in all the factions. The mate
rails for q speedy cleanup exist. Prac-
ticaily every faction has the same notion
now about what the ultimate outcome
on rates will be. The view Is general
that The agricultural rates will be the
high ones written by the coalition in
the Senate. The view about industrial
rates Is that they will be the rates now
existing in the old 1922 law with few
or no changes.
Probably a concensus Of the private
judgments of the Senate would agree
that something much like this Is the
likely outcome. Probably secret ballot
would reveal that such an outcome
would be satisfactory to majority OF
each of the factions. Under these con-
ditionS a non-political assemblage would
probably crystalline its prevailing judg-
inent without much loss of time. In
the Senate, however, its rules, as well
Rs the unusual political conditions, make
speedy crystalliZation difficult.
One Democratic Senator says chief
reason for delay will be the making OF
speeches by individual Senators on Spe-
cific schedules. When the present coal
ition Of Democrats and Progressives be-
gan last Summer. the schedules Of the
tariff were allotted among them. Each
was assigned to familiarize himself with
all the facts and figures about one
schedule This plan has worked ex-
tremely well in making the fight against |
the tariff.
Plan Proves Embarrassing.
Now that the fight is won, however,
this plan turns out to be considerable |
embarrassment. Individual Senators |
who have posted themselves at much |
pains to speak on specific schedules do |
not like to forego making the speeches |
incubating within them. The Senator |
who thus analyZes the situation says |
that the matter of making . real fight |
on the industrial rates could be short !
circuited by agreement, but that the |
speech-making cannot so readily be abb |
breviated.
In the net, it is possibility that the |
Senate might come fairly speedily to |
conclusion by adopting the Senate coal !
ition high rates on agriculture and the |
1922 rates on industry. While that pos |
sibility exists in the atmosphere Of the |
Senate. it is not the largest possibility. |
The balance of probability is on the |
side of considerable delay. Such delay, |
If 1t goes on, becomes cumulative. From |
time to time matters will arise which |
will be regarded as emergencies, to dis |
cuss which the Senate will lay aside the !
tariff. Democratic Senator HaweS of |
Missouri, expressing not necessarily his |
wish but rather his regretful Judgment, |
says, I'VE will not be able to settle this |
tariff matter until February, or at least |
the end Of January" Democratic SEN |
ator Copeland Of New York, speaking |
in the same spirit, not necessarily of
wish but of Judgment, says we are not |
going to finish this bill before the first |
Of March"