Evening star., 1932-01-05
TARIFF BILL VOTE
IS SEEN THURSDAY
Smell Says Democratic
Measure Goes in No Spe-
cifiC Direction.

z The Democrats in Congress have pro-
III duced their expected tariff bill 1t pro-
poses no specific changes in the exist
VI ing tariff rates whatever. 1t does rec
s ommend, however, a revision of the So
NJ called flexible provisions of the tariff
@ law and calls upon President Hoover
III to start a movement for permanent
n International Economic Conference to
81 deal with the tariff problem.
Representative Smell of New York,
nj Republican leader of the House. i'm
N mediately issued a statement declaring
81 that the Democrats had entirely side
n stepped the tariff question in their bill.
1T seems to me-" said Mr.. Smell,
@ that this is a perfect Democratic doc
z$ ument. 1t has no beginning, goes in no
M specific direction and God knows where
ri the ending will be. If there ever was
81 q document presented to Congress
nj which proved the inCapacity of polit-
81 ical party to guide the tariff policy Of
III the country, l think that this is the
h one"
n The Democratic leaders expressed the
NJ through both houses of Congress, how
n ever. The measure was introduced
yesterday in the House by Chairman
Collier of the Ways and Means Com
mittee and tnat committee will begin
hearings on it Immediately and expects
to report the bill speedily to the House
and bring it to vote, perhaps Thurs
day.
Veto Is FOreseen.
With a Democratic majority in the
House and potential majority in the
Senate due to the willingness Of the
Il insurgent Republicans of the Senate
to act with the Democrats, the bill un-
d doubtedly can be passed. When it
reaches the Senate, efforts to amend 1t
by seeking to reduce the tariff duties
on specific schedules may be made,
particularly by the inSurgent Repub-
licanS.
President Hoover, it is believed, would
veto the bill if it was sent to him, and
\ it could not be passed over his veto,
such action requiring two-thirds vote
of both houses.
The bill was introduced in the House
4 after the so-called Policy Committee,
B made up of Democrats of the House and
Il Senate, had given the measure its bless
ing. A statement was issued by Speak
III
n Arkansas, the Democratic leader Of the
Senate, on behalf of the Policy Com
mittee, in which the Democrats took
the position that, with the Democrats
controlling the House, but with the Re
publicans having the Senate and the
presidency, the most practical thing
that they could do would be to present
and put through the bill as presented.
The Republicans pointed out that
there is really no more chance for the
bill to become law under existing con-
ditions than there would be for bill
dealing with tariff rates. They insisted
that the Democrats were unable to
agree on tariff rates, and further that
BY taking no stand on tariff rates they
left the country without information
as to what might really be expected OF
the Democratic party If it were put in
power.
No Plan as to Rates.
At the end of its statement regard
ing the tariff bill the Policy Committee
aided:
The committee decided that it is
only public policy to proceed as speedily
as practical to balance the budget, but
for the present announces no detailed
plans as to rates
Presumably the statement referred to
the rates of taxation which the Demo-
cr9ts will write into their tax bill. The
Policy Committee is to meet again to-
morrow to wrestle with the tax question
and hopes to have bill ready to intro
duce after that meeting Already much
preliminary work has been done on
such a measure, but the Democratic
leaders have not yet ironed out all their
differences.
The Democratic tariff bill amends the
Smoot- -Hawley tariff law by substituting
the old Simmons amendment, offered in
the Senate when the law was under
consideration, for the present flexible
provisions of the tariff law. The law
today permits the President to raise
or lower tariff duties SO per cent, after
thorough investigation and recon-
mendation by the Tariff Commission.
The Simmons amendment would have
the Tariff Commission report to Con-
gresS and let that body determine
whether or not there should be any
change in the tariff duty. The Demo-
Gratis also included in their bill
provision that when the commission
reported on the tariff rates On a par
ticular commodity the bill should be
confined to that particular commodity.
Consumers Counsel"
Another section of the bill sets up a
CONSUMERS counsel" of the Tariff Com
mission. The officer is TO be appointed
by the President and confirmed by the
Senate and to receive a salary Of $4,000
a year 1t shall be his duty to repre-
sent the consuming public before the
Tariff Commission in proceedings be-
fore that commission.
Discussing that provision of the bill
calling for the appointment of a con
sumerS' counsel" of the Tariff CommiS-
sion, Representative Smell said:
The bill makes provision for con-
sumers' counsel, and 1 suggest the
Democrats should hire a lawyer to tell
them just what they mean by this bill.
Certainly one cannot tell by reading it.
AS get it. the bill does two things. 1t
destroys the flexible provision, which
in my opinion is one Of the best pro-
visions of the present tariff act, and
provides further for a continual discus
sion of tariff measures on the floor of
Congress 1t also provides for an inter
national conference. If we ever had
anything of that kind, the present dis
cuSSion Of international debts would be
q side show compared to it.
Says It's Camouflage.
What possible show would the
United States have in conference of
that kind carrying out the American
policy of protection. In the first place
we are the only Nation as far as 1
know that has a fundamental reason
for a protective tariff policy and that
is based on our increased cost of pro-
duction, as compared to costs Of pro-
duction abroad. If we are to follow a
policy, I can't see any advantage of
having an international conference in
reference IN that DOlicV