THE TARIFF: Birdseed & Cat-Jumping

A certain prophet offered last week the following forecast of the tariff bill debate:

“It will start by discussion for a third per cent ad valorem duty on imported birdseed. Taking the affirmative side will be Tom Heflin, with a birdseye view of the mistake of allowing the Vatican more territory and a motion to prevent Al Smith from building the highest building in New York. Then will be a two weeks’ discussion on prohibition, followed by ten days of Arizona Senators denouncing the Boulder Dam. “And by Christmas you won’t know whether the birds got any seed or not.” The prophet, Mr. Will Rogers, was wrong. The tariff bill was presented in the Senate last week by Senator Smoot. Two resolutions were offered calling upon the Treasury Department to open income tax reports of corporations. Another resolution directed that the bill be returned to Committee to strike out all tariff changes except those on agricultural products. Then the Senate agreed to get down seriously to arguing four days later, and meantime took a rest. The lineup showed three groups: 1) The regular Republicans, supposedly in favor of plenty of tariff of all kinds. 2) The group of Midwestern, more or less insurgent Republicans, who want only a tariff on agriculture. 3) The Democrats, supposedly in favor of very little tariff of any kind. But the lineup meant little. There are regular Republicans only half-hearted about many tariff items. And all good Democrats want some tariff or other for their people at home. The Insurgents, led by Idaho’s Borah, and the Democrats, were agreed that they wanted tax reports made available — as am munition. The tax reports will show what profits numbers of businesses have made under present tariff duties. When it came to the question of confining the tariff to agriculture, the Democrats became anxious about defections from their ranks. They were just as uneasy about voting on specific tariff rates. In fact every one was a little uneasy. So with many whisperings behind the scenes it was agreed that the prolog should be not tariff, but administration of the tariff. In other words, the Senators will first argue about the flexible tariff provision (allowing the President to alter rates), meanwhile watching which ways the tariff cat jumps.