# The New York Times/1929/10/24/Coalition Breaks over Carbide Rate

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COALITION BREAKS OVER CARBIDE RATE
13 Democrats, 3 Republicans, Desert as Senate Rejects, 42 to 37, Halving of Cent Duty.
POWER ISSUE IN TARIFF
Norris Says Big Companies Back Duty and Reminds Copeland of Smith's Stand.
Special to the New York Times
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23.—The Democratic-Progressive coalition crumbled in a test of strength with the Republican Old Guard on an important item of the Smoot-Hawley tariff bill in the Senate this afternoon. Thirteen Democrats who almost invariably are members of the coalition, and three Republicans, who are often adherents, deserted the combination to vote with the conservative Republicans, who won by 42 to 87.
The vote was on a motion to tax imported calcium carbide $^1$⁄$_2$ cent per pount, instead of 1 cent, as under existing law and as approved by the House.
The Senate Finance Committee originally favored a rate of $^1$⁄$_2$ cent, but later recommended 1 cent, which was retained this afternoon. The roll-call showed that while Republican Senators Thomas (Idaho), Schall and Couzens had left the coalition to vote for the 1-cent rate, Senators Jones, Waterman, Capper and McNary, all regulars of the same party, had swung behind the coalition.
Noris Lays Duty to Power Concerns.
The desertion of the coalition was taken in the face of an earnest plea against the higher duty by Senator Norris, one of the leaders of the bloc which has wielded so much power in the Senate.
Attacking the 1-cent rate for calcium carbide, he said it was totally unwarranted and would not be demanded if hydroelectric power companies, which sell power for the manufacture of the chemical, would charge reasonable rates for their output. In Canada, the chief importer to the United States, the power rates were much lower, he argued.
Senator Norris brought in national ​politics when he said that if Governor Smith had been elected President there would have been no demand for a 1-cent rate and that Governor Smith would have saved the natural resources of the country for the people, "instead of turning them over to private corporations for private gain."
Ex-Gov. Smith's Policy Brought In.
Senator Copeland evoked the remarks on Governor Smith when he argued that if the duty were removed manufacturers of the commodity in this country would shut down their plants and move to Canada.
"These threats which are always made of abandoning a business and shutting down plants are not a new proposition," Senator, La Follette interjected. "They are not only made when tariff rates are under consideration, but they are also made during campaigns. I wonder if the Senator from New York was as frightened in 1928 when the big corporations threatened that if a Democratic nominee for President was elected, plants would be shut down and business would be disturbed."
"I would not for a moment disturb the Senator from Nebraska, nor the Senator from Wisconsin," replied Senator Copeland. "They are making such good Democratic speeches that I trust they will continue. I assume that both of them would destroy the protective tariff system if they could."
"I am sorry," said Senator Norris, "that when we come here and become good Democrats, the Senator from New York immediately deserts us as he goes into the high protective tariff camp."
Then, in response to a question from Senator Goff of West Virginia regarding Governor Smith's altitude toward protection in the 1928 campaign, Senator Norris made his reference to the Governor's stand on power.
"The candidate for President on the Democratic ticket would have saved the natural resources of the country and given them to the people instead of turning them over to private corporations for private gain," the Senator said.
Capper Denounces the Bill.
In opposing the higher carbide rate Senator Capper also denounced the tariff bill.
"Neither the House of Representatives nor the Finance Committee of the Senate has given us a bill in harmony with the campaign promises or in consonance with the expressed desire of the President in calling this special session," he said.
"Behind the smoke screen of a comparatively few increases for agriculture it proposes to give undreamed of, and entirely uncalled for, increases on literally hundreds of manufactured products.
"It is the plain duty of the Senate not only to eliminate all but a very few of these increases allowed, but it is imperative that the protection which amounts to embargoes afforded industry as a whole in the tariff act of 1922 be pared down considerably.
"I propose to support and vote for additional tariff protection for agriculture. There are a few industries that may need additional protection. They are very few. I will support those.
"But also, it is my purpose to support amendments that will reduce the tariff schedules on a great number of manufactured articles, not only below the recommendations of the Senate Finance Committee, but also below the rates of the present law."
Detailed Vote on Carbide Rate.
The roll-call on the calcium carbide amendment was:
   FOR THE HALF-CENT RATE—37.
   Republicans—17.
   Blaine Howell Norbeck Forah Johnson Norris Frankhart Jones Nye Capper La Follette Pine Cutting McMaster Waterman Frazier McNary
   Democrats—20.
   Ashurst Glass Sheppart Barkley Harris Simmons Caraway Harrison Swanson Connally Hayden Thomas (Okla.) Fletcher KcKellar Walsh (Mass) George Overman Walsh (Mont)
   AGAINST THE HALF-CENT RATE—42.
   Republicans—25.
   Allen Greene Shortridge Bingham Hale Smoot Couzens Hastings Stelwer Edge Hatfield Thomas (Ida.) Fers Hebert Townsend Gillett Moses Vandenberg Glenn Oddie Walcott Coff Patterson Warren Goldborough Phippa Watson Gould Schall
   Democrats—13.
   Black Hawes Steck Blears Keflin Trammel Brock Kendrick Wegner Broussard Pittman Copeland Ranswell
   PAIRS.
   For the one half cent rate: Bratton, Robinson (Ark.), Stephens, Wheeler, Tydings, Smith, Democrats: Shipstead, Farmer-Lavor.
   Against the one-half cent rate: Reed, Deneen, Kenn, Robinson (Ind.), Burton, Metcalf, Sackett, Republicans.
   Absent and unannounced: Dale and Keyes, Republican.
Calcium carbide, on which the cent a pound rate was fixed, is used in making acetylene gas for artificial lighting and oxyacetylene gas for cutting and welding metals. It is also employed in Canada, Germany and other countries for the manufacture of atmospheric nitrogen. Virtually all the exports to the United States are from one Canadian plant.
There are now two American plants in Iowa and one each in Alabama, Michigan, Minnesota, New York and West Virginia. Imports in 1923 reached 2,527,203 pounds, worth $91,975, while exports were 3,475,899 pounds worth $173,382.
Coalition Blames Power Issue.
Coalition leaders admitted tonight that the existence of power plants in certain States might have influenced the votes of some Senators leaving the coalition.
They said that the plants were established in the States of these Senators who supported the one-cent tariff: Black and Heflin of Alabama, Brock of Tennessee, Couzens of Michigan, Schall of Minnesota, Copeland and Wagner of New York and Steck of Iowa.
Disgusted with the slow progress of the bill, the disposition of the calcium carbide amendment having consumed six hours alone, Senator Smoot late this afternoon asked for a limitation of speeches tomorrow. Senators Vandenberg and Howell, Republicans, immediately objected. There seemed little interest whether an agreement was reached or not. At the time only four Democrats and fourteen Republicans were on the floor.
Move to Increase Casein Duty.
After the roll-call the Senate took up a Finance Committee amendment to increase the rate on casein from the House figure of 2$^1$⁄$_2$ cents a pound, up to 3$^1$⁄$_2$ cents.
Farmers are deeply interested in having importations of this product heavily taxed, and this afternoon Senator Shortridge, a regular, offered a motion to make the rate 8 cents.
Casein, made from skimmed milk, is used largely in coating paper and in connection with the manufacture of plywood products, waterproof paints, wall paper and insecticide. It is also a base of a diabetic food.
Argentina is the chief exporter to the United States, but the chemical is also made in France, Holland, Denmark and Germany. In 1925 the domestic production of casein was 21,977,789 pounds, valued at $2,299,498, while the imports were 19,181,256 pounds, worth $1,708,993. The Argentine production of that year was 43,590,400 pounds, valued at $3,248,189.