Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-06
ENTHUSIASM OVER
TARIFF LACKING
Chief Reason Is Absence OF
Conviction About Many
of Increases.

, The outstanding aspect of the in
PRODUCTION of the tariff bill into the
Senate was lack of enthusiasm for the
bill. There was marked contrast with
previous occasions when launching OF
a Republican tariff was regarded by
Senators belonging to that party as an
exalted ceremony, accompanied py
spirited oratory. The chief reason Tor
the present lack of enthusiasm is ap-
sence of strong conviction about many
of the increases in the industrial por-
ton of the bill.
This lack of faith exists among Re
publicans of the most orthodox sort.
There are many industrial increases
which regular Republicans hope Will ee
defeated. In the coming votes on such
schedules these Republicans hope the
increases will be beaten by Democratic
votes. If there are not enough Demo-
cratic votes, regular Republicans VIII
supply the deficiency.
The attitude of some Republican
Senators of high and regular rank Is
illustrated by what went on in the H.
nance committee. The rates in the
version of the bill just introduced in
the Senate were written by the Repub-
lican members of the committee. Thcre
are IL of them. No one of Them be-
longs to the Western group of insur-
gents. All II are strictly orthodox Re-
publicans, with the one partial excep-
ton of Couzens of Michigan.
Highest Common Denomination.
This group used a method of ballot
ing to determine what tariff rate should
be written for each commodity. Among
all the proposed rates, the highest one
was voted on first. If its received
A.;k, sc Nrvoc
the highest rate failed to get major
ity, the next highest was voted on ana
so on until majority was obtained Tor
some rate This method of balloting
arrived at the highest rates for which
even the narrowest majorities could be
obtained. AS a result, the bill as 1t enters
the Senate is, so to speak, the hlghest
common denomination of the opinion
of the committee members. 1t is GER
tain that the bill as it enters the COM
mittee is higher than it will ever be
again. Practically every change made
III the Senate as a whole will be
change downward.
To this last generalization there are
some exceptions, but the exceptions
have to do with another aspect OF the
situation. In the bill, certain industrial
commodities are put on the free list
or are given low rates, as to which
Democrats want high rates. If these
rates are changed upward, it will be
because individual Democrats have Of
fered tc support the bill, and the Re-
publicans in accepting the offer have
undertaken to raise the rates in which
the Democrats are interested. With
such possible exceptions as this. all the
changes made on the Senate floor are
likely to be changes downward.
Minority Opposed Rates.
In the method of balloting used by
the II Republicans who fixed the rates,
there was minority opposed to rate
after rate Sometimes this minority
was as large as members out of IL.
In some cases, the minority had strong
feelings that the rates should have been
lower. In consequence, when the rates
are reviewed in the Senate as a whole,
some perfectly orthodox Republicans,
members of the high-priestly finance
committee, will vote for lower rates.
The situation can be illustrated by
one commodity. OF the entire Ameri-
can cement industry, more than 99h
per cent is immune from foreign COM
petition. Less than one-half of per
cent meets foreign competition. This
fraction consists of a few plants To-
Gated on the Atlantic seaboard, where
European cement, chiefly Belgian, can
come in with low ocean freight rates.
To protect this fraction of the Ameri-