Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-29

that the conferees would recede, land
that in the end the President would
win out"
ut looks now like he might win,"
Senator Harrison continued. "There Is
but one barrier in his way-the Senate
OF the United States-but that makes
our responsibility more pronounced"
Senator Harrison said he understood
the report Of the conferees would not
De brought up until Monday, but he de-
sired to discuss the matter today In
order that the country may know what
Is about to be done, to let them know
OF the crime about to be committed on
the American people"
Senator Harrison declared that the
action taken this morning in conference
would destroy what the Senate sought
70 accomplish on this question and will
gave 10 the country the same law that
Is in effect today on the flexible pro.
VISION with only minor changes.
President Holds Power.
Senator Harrison said the House bill
ana the present law gave the President
the power to raise or lower rates so
per cent. under which the Tariff Com
mission would merely furnish facts, but
that the President was not bound TO
accept the rate recommended by the
commission. The Senator from Missis-
Slppl said the change agreed upon Ii
that the President cannot disregard the
rates recommended. He declared, how
ever, that the President would hold
the power under this proposal either to
accept or reject the findings Of the
commission.
II the commission should recommend
reouctlon OF so per cent in q rate,
Senator Harrison said, the President
would not have to accept 1t, but could
pigeon-hole 1t and Haunt the rights of
the people and let the collection of the
TAX go on" Senator Harrison said that
under the Senate plan that could not
happen, because, he said, after so DAYS
the recommendation Of the commission
would have gone into effect under the
Senate amendment,
Senator Harrison attacked the new
agreement on the flexible provision be-
cause, he said, it gives the President
the power to designate the chairman of
the Tariff Commission and continue
That chairman as the head of the conn
mission for the full seven years as his
term as commissioner. Under the earlier
agreement 1t was provided that there
should be rotation every year in the
craftsmanship Of the commission, there
by placing at the head Of the commits
sion Democrats as well as Republicans.
"Gold Dust Twins"
The Mississippi Senator, characteriz-
ing Senator Smoot, chairman of the
hnance committee, and Chairman
BrousSard Of the Tariff Commission as
the Gold Dust twins from Utah" de-
clared that Senator Smoct had been the
member Of the conference who TODAY
proposed that the President should have
this power of selecting q chairman for
q number of years.
Senator Barley of Kentucky asked if
chairman BrousSard did not on last
Saturday issue a statement that the
pending tariff bill would be of great
benefit to the American farmers.
rounding his desk, Senator Harrison
replied that the chairman of the Tariff
Commission had issued such q state
ment, which Senator Harrison called a
political pamphlet. He insisted that
the tariff commissioners had no BUSH
ness putting out such statements, APP
parently designed for political pur-
poses alone and to help the President
and the chairman of the Senate finance
committee.
The first sentence of this pamphlet"
said Senator Harrison, "reads as fol-
lows: Agriculture will benefit greatly
by this BILL
Ahdb 4lAlc SbdUSIlcIlL, SHlQ Sena- |
tor Harrison. sarcastically. These tariff |
ought to know that as |
matter of fact agriculture will be ham
strung by this tariff bill"
Senator Smoot interrupted to point |
out that Commissioner Dennis, a DEM |
ocrat, as we'll as Chairman Broussard, |
had signed the statement issued last |
Senator Glenn of Illinois, Republican.
luytf 49,
was now complaining about the new
agreement on the flexible provision
when he might have had the old agree
ment II another Democrat, Senator
Barley, had not raised the point of
order which sent 1t back to conference.
Senator Harrison admitted that from
his point of view it would have been
better If Woe President Curtis had not
sustained the point of order made by
Senator Barley.
IT hold in my hand" continued SEN
ator Harrison, "a draft which was
given to Representative Hawley by
'ome one close to the President Pre-
'umably the President had a hand in
writing this draft. Anyway, Mr. Haw-
ey assured the conferees that II 1t
we're adopted for this flexible provision
lent. Now what did the President
Vant?"
Senator Harrison insisted that under
his draft 1t would have been possible
or great combinations of producers to
TX the price of their product to Ameri-
an consumers without any chance Of
iaving the Tariff Commission make an
Investigation and recommend lower
luties He said that the Tariff Com
Mission could not take up under this
raft an investigation into the duties
evie6 unless there were like compeN-
I've 4ported articles, He insisted that,
n sShe instances, there were no like
competitive imported articles.