The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1930-03-28

SENATE PASSES TARIFF

After a battle Of several months between the industrial East
and the agricultural West-standpatters against Progressives with
party lines partly wiped out-the United States Senate passed the
smootIIawley tariff bill and sent it to senate-HOuse conference
by a vote of SO to 81. Seven Democrats voted for the bill and 5
Republicans against it. These 5 were Norris, Norbeck, McMaster
LaFouete and Blaine. Senators Walsh and Wheeler of Montana
The bill as it stands is a halfway measure-a compromise.
The forces of the West fought hard, gained much and held some
of it, supported by a few powerful newspapers such as the Mime
apolis Tribune. The following estimate of the bill is taken from
that paper, which is normally Republican:
What sort of a tariff bill is it just passed by the senate?
The northwests answer may be determined by putting the bill
to two simple tests.
Fest Number One:
Does the bill fulfill the Republican partys pledges to agriculture?
The answer here is an unqualified No.
Test Number Two:
proposed rates than under the rates now embodied in the Fordney-
McCumber act.
The answer here, however reluctant, must be Yes.
The northwest, therefore, should be wary about dsposing of
the bill too sweepngly. However dissatisfied we may be with the
congressional performance as a whole-however resentful we may
be about certain indefensible agricultural omissions and certain in
defensbe nonagricultural inclusions-we should not forget that in
the new agricultural rates we have al equity W e can hardly afford
to throw away.
The ndefensfble agricultural omissions ae mainly summed up
in vegetable fats and oils, casein, starches, and hides.
The inderensible non-agriculnral incusions are mainly summed
up in lumber, cement and brick.
Exclusive of the ffrstnamed items, agriculture did not fare at all
badly and exclusive of the secondnamed items, Grundyism did not
fare particularly well.
The bill as it stands does a great deal for agriculture, but not
IS much as it should.
And it makes certain concessions to Grundyism which the north
west will never be able to forgive.
The original bill framed by the house ways and means commit,
tee was a monstrosty. 1t was not an agricultural bill at all, but a
Grundy bill. The bill which emerged from the senate finance com
mittee was more of an agricultural bill, and less of a Grundy BILL
but still, O the whole, a Grundy bill. The bill which yesterday
emerged from the senate was closer to an agricultural bill, and the
further from a Grundy bill, than any that W have seen yet. But
this is fan from saying that the new bill is a simon-pure agricultural
bill. or a realization of Mr.. Hoovers detectives. or a fulfllment of
the Republican partys pledges.
The northwest will never be satisfied with the tariff bill.
This section of the country is not going to forget the promises so
solamnrv made. 1t may have to concede that agriculture would be
better off under the e rates than under the Fordney-McCumber
rates but it knows perfectly we'll that a mere Improvement over
the Fordney-McCumber status was not what was pledged. The Re-
publican party gave its word that, if returned to power, it would do
everything in its power to put agriculture o a basis of equality with
induStry Id to give the farmer the home market to the fu extent
of his ability to supply 1t.
rhe present bill does not by any means remedy the disparity
between agriculture and industry. 1t is hardly even a feeble gesture
in that direction.
1t does not give the farmer the home market to the full extent
of his ability to supply it. No doubt it makes accessible to him a
larger part of the home market than he could ever before get at,
but the fulfnlment here is partial and not complete.
For many months The Tribune has been wagng a campaign
intended to hold the Republican party to a strict redemption of its
party pledges. We undertook the campaign at a time when the bill
threatened to harm agriculture far more than to help it. Since then
a great many of the industrial increases have been stricken out, and
a great many of the agricultural rates have been raised so that they
absolutely vicious document it was last June. 1t has been improved
to the point where the gains to agriculture outweigh the losses
that is all. A number of benefits which might have been conferred
upon agriculture were, for no good reason, denied. A number of
taxes which never should have been imposed upon agriculture were,
for no good reason, approved.
The Tribune does not see how the northwest can very well reject
the bill, but we feel no hesitancy about saying that we are not sat
isffed with ii. and have no illusions concerning it. The Republican
party has not done the job it should have done, and should be
ashamed to offer the present lame affair a. a fufilment of it's
campaign pledges.
Governor Erickson has appointed H. B. Brooks, editor of the
Chinook Opinion. to the vacancy on the State Crime Commission
left BY the resignation of Herbert M. Peet. An excellent appointment.