Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-13
Tariff Delays.


legislative mills In this country grind
slowly, whether they grind exceeding
lne" or not. When President Hoover
called Congress into special session
April IS last, he gave it two major
tasks, farm relief and tariff revision.
The first is out of the way-though 1t
was delayed for weeks and weeks be-
yond its expected time. But the tarln
Is with us still. Indeed, in some quar-
tiers there is fear it may still be before
Congress when that body meets IN
regular session next December. the
bill Is not now to be reported to the
Senate from the finance committee
until just in time to begin general
debate September 4. This is after
Labor day. How long the Senate Will
wish to discuss the measure no one
knows. But in the past, three months
has been about the length Of time for
the consideration of tariff bill. Then
the measure has to go to conference to
have the differences between the two
Houses ironed out.
In preparation for tariff revision
legislation the House ways and means
committee began work back in jan
uary holding hearings. The House
finally put through the bill in June
and sent it to the Senate. That body,
however, had with great propriety
waited until the House had disposed
Of the measure before 1t turned hand
in the matter. Suggestions that the
Senate finance committee begin its
hearings weeks before, so as to expedite
consideration Of the measure, were
turned down. Nothing like that had
ever before been done. The House
might have been offended. 1t is aston
ishing how seriously the Senate takes
some of these things. Weeks Of time
might have been saved If the Senate
committee had tackled the problem Of
tariff revision early In the special
session.
To the country it may we'll appear
that the Congress Is derelict in its
duties If it cannot dispose Of tariff
revision bill within seven and one-half
months. Particularly when q study
of this measure was begun back In
January by the House committee. The
business of the country-not to men
ton the farmers for whom the tariff
revision Is understood to have been
designed particularly-may become res
tive under such conditions.
The Republican leadership of the
Senate, headed by Senator Watson of
Indiana, promises to get the bill
through before the regular session
opens in December. It should. The
Democrats, through their leaders, in
sist there will be no attempt on the
part of the minority members of the
Senate to f1libuster the bill and thus
prevent final action on it in the re-
mainder Of the special session of Con-
greSs. But the rule Of unlimited de-
bate in the Senate hangs over all leg
lslation. No one can tell with GER
tainty how long any debate will run.
Efforts we're made before the congress
stonal recess began last June 10 to
which to take vote in the Senate on
the passage Of the tariff bill. But they
were vain. It became known that GER
tain of the Progressive Republican Sen
ators would not agree to any such plan.
They wanted to see the bill brought out
by the finance committee and shaped
by the Senate itself before they would
agree to q time limit. There was the
hidden threat that If they did not APP
prove the bill they might be willing to
hold up action on it indefinitely.
President Hoover recommended In
his message to Congress at the begin
ming of the special session . Limited
revision" Of the tariff. The limits,
however. have been almost as wide as
the whole tariff range. This has been
one Of the causes of the long drawn
out fight.
If the tariff bill is not disposed Of in
the special session and goes over to
the regular session 1t may become in
volved with the consideration Of other
legislation, including the regular ap-
preparation bills for the Government.
Furthermore, 1t Is likely to be carried
over into the congressional campaign.
This does not please many of the Re-
publicans, who wish to see the bill out
Of the way and the country adjusting
itself to the new rates before that
campaign is we'll under way. For failure
to deal with this important. measure
in a reasonable time will give to the
Republican party q reputation for in
competency which it will not relish.
It is limited that Germany may at