Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-03
SENATE CHANGES.
IN TARIFF STATED
Eighty.Page Report Asserts
Z. Farmers Would Gain by
Revised Rates.
ny the Associated Press.

Detailed explanations OF the changes
made in the House tariff bill by Re-
publican members Of the Senate finance
committee were set forth in tentative
the committee majority.
. Filling eight printed pages, the docu-
inent advocated the proposed Sub6titu-
ton Of domestic for foreign values In
the computation Of ad valoren duties,
asserted that the measure would raise
the level of protection on agricultural
commodities by IL per cent and, going
through the bill by individual sched-
ules, gave the committee majority's
reasons for the rates that 1t has agreed
upon.
The elimination of all international
difficulties in the administration of the
tariff Law was predicted as a result of
adopting the proposed method Of levy
ing ad yalorem duties. All necessary
Investigations. the report said, would
be made within the United States, thus
avoiding inquiries in other countries
with their difficulties and occasional in
transitional disagreements. In addition,
it was asserted that through the new
method present inequalities resulting
from differing production costs in va
Fious nations would be avoided.
Wholesale Price Test.
Domestic value was defined ss the
equivalent of United States value I'M
der the present tariff law-the freely
offered wholesale price of the imported
or similar merchandise in American
markets.
= The elimination Of these deductions,
The report said, will have the effect OF
greatly simplifying administration, and.
II properly done. will result In no change
In the amount OF duty collected.
Going on to agricultural commodities,
the report said that changes in this
schedule. as compared with the House
bill, were the result of additional evil
dence adduced at subcommittee hear.
ings. and consist principally OF adjust
ments." Subsequently, the report added,
the committee had agreed to "the con-
siderable increases in rates on agricul-
tural products provided by the House
BILL entailing an estimated increase Of
325, 100000 in revenue from this sched-
ule and raising the percentage Of pro-
lection from 90, under the present law,
to "a under the proposed legislation.
Explains Oil Duty. -.
Explaining its rejection of the plea
Of farm organizations for duty Of Is
per cent on all vegetable oils. the COM
mittee majority said that 1t considered
coconut oil, constituting AZ per cent Of
imports under this heading, the most
important and with 90 per cent Of i'm
ported coconut oil coming in duty free
from the Philippines, it had not beer
deemed advisable to disturb existing
free trade relations with the islands"
An increased duty on other fats and
oils also was considered unwise.
In view Of an increased domestic wool
yield Of about SO per cent over the
last six years, the report said, the COM
mittee decided that the increase of ;
cents a pound on raw wool proposed BY
the House was inadviSable and elm
mated this provision. At the same time
an increased duty on wool wastes was
recommended on the ground that the
intent Of Congress would be defeated
If substitute for wool is allowed to
come into the country at a rate lower
than that placed upon wool itself.
The most important change in the
sugar schedule was asserted to be. that
reducing the rate on Cuban sugar from
the 2.40 6ents per pound figure pro-
posed by the House to 2.20 cents. THE
rates on all items in this schedule"
the report said, "hRVe received careful
consideration and the changes made
have been made with the interests Of
the consumers, producers. importers and
manufacturers in mind"
Maple Sugar Rate Raised.
The House, rate on maple sugar. an
increase over existing law. was raised
still higher by the committee, it was
said, in order Ito offset the bonus.
which, witnesses stated, was being paid
indirectly to the maple sugar producers
in Canada by the Canadian govern
YYAent" ...'.
The House rates on rice were reduced
70 existing levels. the report explained.
because the industry was ION an i'm
portant surplus basis. exports being
Approximately nine times as large as
imports" ,' 4
The duty on lemons was raised to
"Aid In the, orderly marketing of our
lemon production in California. which
At present must face the competition
OF speculative entries from foreign
countries" IT "a
Calling attention to increased inn
ports Of shoes. principally women's.
from CzecF1oslovAkia, the report said
this competition was most keenly felt
by manufacturers of MAckav type of
wcmen'S shoes. who are located prin-
cipally In Massachusetts" Imports of
women's turn shoes. produced in SwitH-
erland were felt by Brooklyn manu-
facturers. Hence the proposed duty of |
40 per cent on shoes, now on the free |
list. the report explained
Position on Shingles.
The free listing of logs OF fir, spruce.
cedar or western hemlock. now dutiable |
at 81 per 1000 board measure feet. was /
because domestic Sawmills |
and shinRle mills in the Puget Sound |
area not supplied with timberlands
were dependent in part on imported |
raw materials. Costs of production In |
the United States and Canada were |
not materially different the report said. |
Cedar lumber and shingles of wood, |
which the House took from the. free |
list and made dutiable at IS per cent. |
would be transferred back to the free /!
list under the committee bill for the |
same reasons given for free listing logs
and for the added reason. the report !
said. that imported shingles ARE in |
general Of higher grades than the bulk |
OF domestic production"
An increase OF az to 312 cents q |
pound in the rate on cssein was pro.
posed, the report added. lin order that |
the dairy interests might derive some
gain" Each year, 1t was conten6ed. |
over l0.000.Q00000 pounds OF skinned
milk goes TO waste. \ portion of which |
might be converted into casein.
The duty ON building brick, now free
listed. was proposed to protect the Hud-
son River producers from Belgian inn
ports. and the rate on cement also now
free. was recommended to protect sea.
board plants from foreign cement
coming in as ballast and undefsclling
the domestic product in coast cities.
The increased rate for chemical and
scientific glassware was imposed to en-
- IN kprvyl