Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-24
Republican Solidarity.

The Republican House has demon
strated again its ability to get together
on a protective tariff bill. BY vote
of 206 to "a the Republicans, in party
conference. determined upon rule
which will bring the bill to vote in
the House at three O'Clock next Tuesday
and which will practically limit amend
ments to those presented by the COM
nittee on ways and means. The dect-
sion in the party conference is tribute
to the Republican leadership of the
House. Ever since the tariff bill was re-
ported to that body there have been
threats of instruction and revolt
When the final showdown came, how
ever, the vote to stand by the bill was
overwhelming. So strong is the Repub-
hcan majority of the House that the
recalcitrant Republicans, joining with
the Democrats, will be unable to shake
the solid front of the organization.
During the last two weeks the party
leaders and members of the ways and
means committee have labored effec-
lively with Republican members of the
House inclined to kick over the traces.
Those who had strong objections to
some Of the schedules were given a
hearing by the ways and means COM
mittee. Some of their demands were
needed, and the ways and means COM
1nittee yesterday submitted to the party
conference a series of 81 amendments
dealing with some of these controversial
subjects. In the main, however, the bill
as reported will continue before the
House and will be passed. Opponents
of the increases in sugar duties have
failed to shake the support of the ma
jority for those increases. The rates on
building materials, including cement,
bricks, shingles and lumber, have been
retained.
On the other hand, number of con-
eessions have been made to the Repre-
Sentatives Of farm States and to some
OF the industries. Hides were taken
from the free list, for example, and
given an ad valorem duty of ten per
cent, at the same time boots and shoes
and leather were placed on the dutiable
list. The farmers will have to make UP
their minds whether the duty granted
them on hides is more desirable than
having shoes and leather on the free
list. The great majority of the Repub-
ncan members from the farm States,
however, have acquiesced in the agree
ment on the tariff bill The measure,
ever since its report, has been violently
assailed both by farming interests and
industrial interests. Perhaps this is a
good sign. At all events it would be an
unheard-of achievement If tariff bill
was drafted that pleased every one.
After the bill has passed the House
1t will go to the Senate, and If past
history is any criterion it will be
amended in many respects. Whether
the bill in the end will meet the ideas
Of President Hoover, who asked for a
"linited" tariff revision. only time can
tell. Critics of the bill insist that al
ready the duties have been changed in
so many cases that all talk of a
~linited" revision appears idle. If he
considers duties have been unduly in
creased the Chief Executive will have
one weapon at his hand, If he desires
to use it. after the bill becomes law
Under the flexible provisions of the
tariff law the President, on recon-
mendation of the Tariff Board, may
reduce or increase the tariff duties by
nifty per cent.
In Democratic quarters the tariff bill
will be violently casugated. But that
was to be expected. Any Republican
tariff measure is due for such criticism
While the great majority of Democrats
in the House will vote against the tariff
bill on its passage, If not all, many of
those same Democrats will be favorable
to duties designed to protect industries
in their own districts. They rely upon
the Republicans for this measure of pro-
lection. But politics is politics. A con-
gressional election is to take place next
year. 1t would scarcely be in line for
a Democrat to vote for a Republican
protective tariff measure in view Of the
approaching campaign.
A feminine protest against cigarettes
l. L.. -N