Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-04
DEBENTURE DEFEAT
AHOOvER VICTORY
Retention of Flexible Clause
In Tariff Is Held Score
for President.
Continued From First Psge.)

debenture and the flexible provisions,
sugar, cement, lumber, silver, shingles
and logs. Probably the conference re-
port will have to wait before 1t goes
to the Senate until after the nomina-
ton of Judge John J. Parker has been
disposed Ct In that body
Coalition Badly Smashed.
The Senate coalition which wrote into
the tariff bill the debenture and flexible
amendments disagreed to now by the
days of tariff consideration in the SEN
ate. On the passage of the bill seven
Democrats were recorded as voting for
the bill and one was paired for it. Only
five Republicans voted against its pas
sage.
While the President has made no
statement to that effect, it was generally
understood that If the debenture clause
was retained in the tariff bill he would
veto the measure. The action Of the
House yesterday makes 1t practically
certain that the bill will not carry the
debenture clause when 1t is finally put
| in shape to 20 TO the President.
The House debated the debenture
clause yesterday for hours and 20
minutes, and gave three hours of its
time to discussing the flexible provision
| amendment.
Representative John @. Tilson of Con-
necticut majority leader Of the House;
| read letter which he had Just received
from the President reiterating his oppo-
sition to the debenture clause. Under
date Of May 1, 1880, the Presidents let
ter follows:
My dear Mr.. Tilson:
81 have your letter of inquiry rs
| to whether see any reason to change
the views which expressed on April
20 last year upon the so-called deben-
ture plan introduced by the Senate
into the tariff bill. do not.
Some minor alterations have been
| made in the plan which do not go to-
the essential fact that the practical
working Of it will depress and not ele-
vate prices to the farmer. The plan in
the present bill presents an additional
objection In that the export subsidies
proposed vary with different agricul-
tural products and thus are widely DIFF
ferent to different farmers. They vary
from about per cent upon the cost
of production of rye to apparently near
100 per cent on tobacco. In the latter
case growers could apparently afford
to raise their product and export 1t for
the subsidy alone.
Since my previous statement the
Tarln commission mas eSClmaCeQ the
cost Of the plan to the Treasury, If
put into operation and on the basis
of present exports, at about $3.50, 000,-
600 per annum.
Yours faithfully,
HERBERT HOOVER"
The supporters of the debenture
clause insisted that 1t Is the only way
in which the tariff can be really made
effective on wheat and some other
agricultural products of which this
country produces surplus over domes-
tic needs.
Called Mere Gesture.
It's opponents commended that it was a
mere gesture which would not really
aid the farmers, but the grain traders,
but would take $3.50, 000, 900 out of the
Treasury in direct subsidies to these
traders
Percy Quinn Of Mississippi threw the
House into wild laughter when he said:
They say the President will veto this
tariff bill If 1t contains the debenture
1t would be the hell Of o good thing If
he did"
The House sent back to conference
several other amendments to the adj
ministrative features Of the tariff bill,
including amendments, liking the number
of members of the Tariff Commission,
the salaries which shall be paid them
and the manner of selecting them. The
Senate provided for a bipartisan COM
mission Of six, while the House provided
for a "non-partisan' board of seven.