Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-22
FARMERS HIGHEST
TARIFF BILL NEARS
LAST SENATE VOTE
Continued From First Page.l

| (COQIlnueQ FITSC SdScJ
regulars and Democrats regained some
of the lost ground, but the rate
structure of the Senate measure is still
below the high protective scale ?oted
by the House.
Besides boosting farm rates to the
highest level ever known, the Senate
bill comedies with the House measure
in another important particular. in that
it carries virtually the same increases
on raw clothing wool and particularly
every wooden garment worn by every
person in the land.
The rayon schedule, set up in a sep
arate category for the first time, also
contains much higher protection Tor
| this growing industry, while the cotton
and silk textile rates remain about the
| same, with few increases and reduc-
| lions.
Sugar is assured of higher rate, al
| though the Senate duty OF cents
pound on Cuban raws is much lower
than the House rate of 2.40 cents. The
| present duty is 176 cents.
Both measures take from the free
| list brick of the common building va
riety, hydraulic cement, hardwood floor
| ing and lumber of various kinds. The
House bill takes shingles from the free
category, but the Senate eliminated the
| IS per cent levy.
The House also placed hides feathers
and shoes under the arm Of protection,
| but the Senate was unable to agree on
an equitable distribution of levieS on
these commodities and they remain free
| in its bill.
The Senate provides duty Of cents
a pound on long staple cotton, now on
the free list, and to compensate for in
creased costs to manufacturers using
this Egyptian type adds fiat additional
| levy of 10 cents a pound to the rates
| provided on all manufactures OF cotton
staple of 1hs inches and over.
The biggest inroad made in the in
| duStrial schedules by the Democratic
Western Republican coalition involves
cuts in existing rates on pig iron, basic
raw material of the steel industry, alu-
minum and plate glass.
Chemical Schedule Low.
The chemical schedule also is far be-
| low existing law, with many rates now
in effect wiped out entirely. However,
the present American valuation method
of determining ad valorem tariffs on
coaltar dyes and drugs remains in the
bill.
Both measures give an increased rate
to furniture, while the Senate cuts the
duty on automobiles and motor cycles
| from IS to 10 per cent ad valorem.
Pottery and chinawares are granted
higher protection.
AS for other administrative features,
! the Senate bill makes wholesale
changes in the House terms The
former restores the existing bipartisan
character Of the tariff commission and
keeps its membership at SIX The
House increased the membership to
seven to prevent deadlockS and provided
for non-partisan fact-flnding body.
The Senate measures provide for
general reorganization of the commits
sion, directing the President to submit
to the Senate the names of six new
commissioners within 90 DAYS of enact
ment of the bill. The President, how
ever, could reappoint any existing COM
missioner he desired
Neither bill disturbs the old system of
oaSing ad valorem rates on foreign val
uation, but as step IN the direction of
preventing undervaluations of imported
goods, which lowers the protection, the
senate incorporated a provision direct
ing the Tariff Commission to report to
Congress by January /, 1882, some form
OF domestic valuation
Inc Idea Is to translate all ad valorem
rates In the bill finally enacted into
duties based on domestic value without
increasing or decreasing the degree of
protection afforded by the rates based
on foreign value
The Simmons Norris flexible substi-
tute would restore to Congress the pow
er now vested in the President to change
rates up or down as much as so per
cent after investigation by the Tariff
commission. AS a safeguard against a
general opening up of the tariff queS-
ton, the substitute provides that action
oy Congress on any report from the
commission should be restricted to the
Item or items dealt with in such re-
port.
The substitute places no limitation on
these emergency tariff changes, permit
ting the commission to report findings
on petitions to transfer to or from the
free list.
Port Courtesy Withdrawn.
The Senate bill withdraws all courtesy
OF the port and other special privileges
heretofore granted Government officials /
and Senators and Representatives upon
returning from foreign trips either for |
business or pleasure.
1t also puts up TO the courts instead |
OF customs authorities the right to bar |
imported literature that might be re-
garded as of an obscene or sedltlous |
nature.
The Senate measure also repeats all /
countervailing duties except those on |
coal. flooring and wood pulp, subjects |
Canadian wheat milled in bond In this |
country to duty of 35 cents barrel
II intended for export to Cuba. and pro-
vides that all wheat imported in bond |
shall be withdrawn from domestic ware
houses within 10 months instead Of |
three years as at present. The latter !
clause was added to provide ample stor- !
age space for American wheat In en1er- I,
gencies, especially at harvest times.
The Senate also added clauses provid-
Ing for suspension of duties on any !
commodity In which a monopoly In re.
etraint OF trade was found to exist. and
for q peoples counsel on the Tariff |
Commission TO look after the interests /
Of the general consuming public.