Evening star., 1934-03-17
HOUSE TO TAKE UP
TARIFF NEXT WEEK.
Reel lprocaI Measure, With
Amendments, Is Indorsed
by Committee.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The reciprocal tariff bill, carrying
with it an Endorsement of the House
Ways and Means Committee. is ex-
pected to come up for consideration
in the House next Wednesday. The
measure carries several amendments
voted by the committee, which split
strictly along party lines in reporting
it yesterday. The vote was Is, all
Democrats, in favor and 10, all Re-
publicans, against
The bill authorizes the President to
negotiate reciprocal trade treaties with
foreign countries without ratification
of the pacts by the Senate. The Chief
Executive is empowered to raise or
lower existing tariff rates so per cent.
Under an amendment adopted, he
may promise foreign countries that
during the life of the treaties they
enter with the United States articles
on the free list will not be removed
and duties on articles on the dutiable
list shall not be increased. 1t does
not give power to the Executive to re-
move articles from the free list, leav-
ing that to Congress.
Another amendment provides that
the existing flexible tariff provisions of
the 1880 act shall remain in force on
all articles not affected by trade pacts.
Under the original bill as submitted
by the State Department to Chairman
Doughton the flexible provisions. per-
mittlng the President to raise or lower
rates so per cent upon the recommen-
dation of the Tariff Commission,
would have been repealed.
Demanded by Industries.
This change was demanded by rep
resentatives of industrial sections be-
cause it permits the filing of COM
plants by domestic producers with
the commission and hearings on pro-
posals to increase as well as to lower
rates.
Two other revisions, to maintain the
existing preferential treatment of
Cuba, were made. One provides
nothing in the measure may be con-
strued as preventing the United States
from continuing exclusive preferential
treatment to articles, the growth,
produce or manufacture of the Repub-
lie Of Cuba"
The other maintains the present
status on the law governing the mill
ing In bond Of Canadian hard Spring
wheat by Buffalo millers for export
to Cuba. Under the original proposal
Southwestern millers claimed the
measure would result in a discrimi-
nation against American hard Winter
wheat in the Cuban trade. Canadian
urh6of in ha
and shipped to Cuba must continue
to pay the existing differential
An amendment by Representative
Mccormack, Democrat of MaSsachu-
sets, to the policy enunciated in the
measure was adopted to provide that
besides expanding foreign markets and
overcoming domestic unemployment,
its purpose Is to restore the American
standard of living.
Treaty Discussions Set Aside.
Until Congress acts, the State De-
partment is informing all foreign ma
tons that no new commercial treaty
negotiations can be discussed.
Secretary of State Hull said yester-
day a number of foreign nations have
made overtrres to the State Depart
ment concerning possible new COM
mercial treaties. but that none of the
informal conversations have passed
the initial stage.
Negotiations of commercial agree
nents with Brazil. Argentina, Portu-
gal and Sweden which we're already
under way, have been held up until
definite action has been taken by Con-
gress.
Germany-which according to press
dispatches from Berlin has made over
lures for the negotiation Of trade
pact--is only one Of the nations which
have approached the United States,
asking for information as to when
such treaty discussions might be un-
dertaken.
Canada is also included among the
nations which have made informal
oVertllres