Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-22
TARIFF SITUATION
IS HELD CLEARER
factions Are Believed Ready
to Accept Rates in Three
Broad Groups.

AS the Senate approaches its brief
recess, the tariff situation Is clarified to
greater degree than appears on the
surface. AS respects rates. what all the
factions now want or are willing to
accept is substantially the same, though
for reasons Of political psychology, they
are reluctant to make agreements or
to seem agreed before the public eye.
What is here said applies to rates,
though not to the debenture plan of the
flexible provision.
The rates may be divided into three
broad groups. The first is the rates on
agricultural products. As to those, all
three factions now subscribe in the
main to the rates demanded by the
Western ProgressiveS in the Senate.
The farmers are going to get roughly
the rates their Senate representatives
have proposed.
The only faint question about the
agricultural rates at present is a small
one within the Western group itself
Some of them fear that few are de-
handing agricultural rates so high as
to destroy their own purpose, or SO high
as to cause an unfavorable reaction
from the public. When Senator Brook
hart of Iowa proposed an extremely
high rate on oats, objection was voiced
in almost harsh terms by his fellow
progressive, Senator Norbeck of South
Dakota. Similarly. another of the West
ern ProgreSsiVeS, Blaine of Wisconsin,
has made some extremely energetic re-
marks about the height of some of the
farm rates proposed by other Progress
SiveS.
Disagreement Is Outlined.
about farm rates being in some cases
too high, is within the Western pro-
gressive group itself. 1t should be
added that a few of the Western Pro-
gressives Democratic allies, notably
Senator Copeland of New York and
Senator Walsh of Massachusetts,, feel
that some of the farm rates on food 60
so far as to invite resentment from
consumers.
The net about farm rates is that
whatever farm rates the Western Pro-
gressives agree upon will be accepted,
with no serious opposition by the other
factions. They will be accepted by the
Democrats because the great bulk OF
the Democrats in the Senate already
have voted for them. They will be ac-
cepted by that two-thirds of the regular
Republicans in the Senate who compose
what is called the young guard" The
young guard" many of them from
the Midwest always have believed In
satisfactorily high rates for the farmer.
If there is any Senate opposition what
ever to the farm rates proposed by the
Western Progressives, it will come from
the not more than six or eight ''old
guard" leaders who have been rather
exiled by the new guard" AS Respects
the House, the leaders Of that body
also are prepared to accept, without any
material exception, the farm rates pro-
posed by the Western Progressives in
the Senate.
Industrial Rates May Divide.
Other than farm rates, the industrial
rates may be divided into two groups.
One is the industrial rates that have
so far been opened up by either the
House or the Senate, or both. As to
these also there is identity of point of
view on the part OF the three factions.
All three are ready, speaking broadly, to
accept these rates in their latest form,
which Is the form to which they have
been brought by the coalition in the
Senate. This is subject to only such ex-
ceptions as can be taken care of in con-
ference.
The coalition leaders realize that
some of the industrial rates they have
made have been illogical. The rough
standard according to which the coali-
ton in the Senate has made industrial
rates is, in effect, the standard of exist
ing rates in the McCumber- Fordney law
in effect since 1922. In some cases, the
coalitions new industrial rates are
higher and in some cases lower than
these existing rates.
In general the coalition in its in
dustrial rate-makig has been guided by
the status in existence since 1922.
Where q convincing case can be made
out for an increase, the coalition has
been willing to adopt it. They will
continue in the same spirit in the ulti-
mate conference between House and
Senate This formula for the industrial
rates, the status of the 1922 law ac-
companied by changes for which there
is convincing evidence, is now accepted
by the two-thirdS of the Republican
regulars who compose the new guard"
in the Senate 1t Is also accepted by