Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-18
FOR FREE COAL
Senator Hill Offers an Amendment
to That Effect.
Mr.. VEST BECOMES QUITE SARCASTIC
Quite a Sharp Debate on the Coal
Schedule.
THE ANTI-OPTION BILL

ii 4 n n I1-O Z IlON - LIZ
The Senate. after some routine morning
business today. entered upon the twelfth
week OF the tariff debate The temperature
was sweltering when the Vice President
called the upper house OF Congress u order
at 10 O'Clock. the thermometer standing 81
In the chamber Bills were passed as fol-
lows: For the relief OF Charles W. cronk; to
refund Illegal revenue tax collected OF the
late Alexander W. baldwin as United States
judge for the district OF Nevada: 20 relieve
the personal representatives OF John Sher-
man, jr, late United States marshal for
the territory OF New Mexico. from the re-
qukellents of section SS3 of the Revised
| Statutes.
Mr.. PETERS, Electricity Bill.
| bill reported back favorably from the
| committee agriculture by Mr.. PETER
(Kan) for the establishment of experiment
stations under the direction OF the Secretary
Of Agriculture. 20 determine whether elec-
tricity or gaseous vapor can be used as
| agricultural motive power, and Offering a
premium of 2.Joo for successful inven-
| ton or such motive power. met with oppo-
| sition from both Mr.. Hawley Comm and
Mr.. Hoar (Mass). They contendcd that IL
was absurd 10 offer such a premium for the
| discovery OF the application OF electricity
| a motive power IN agricultural or other in
| dustries. IL would be like Offering a prize
| OF six pence. Mr. Hoar said for the inven-
ton OF a new motive power for ocean steam
ships. The electrical engineers the world
I over were cudgeling their brains for new
ideas. and no such prer1ium was offered
| by this bill would stimulate invention. He
100000.
Mr. PETER. in reply TO a question. stated
that the Secretary OF Agriculture was op-
posed 20 the bill.
Mr.. Harris suddenly interposed an objec-
tion at this point and the bill went TO the
calendar. After the passage Of a bill to
amend the act OF ISIS for the support Of the
| District OF Columbia. and joint resolution
| directing the Secretary Of War TO appoint a
commission Of engineers to examine and re-
port upon the cost OF deepening the harbors
OF Superior and Duluth the tariff bill was
| laid before the Serate.
Pulp. Papers and Books.
At the request Of Mr.. Platt. the two para
graphs C29s and 2sa) Of the silk schedule
psssed over Saturday were again passed
over today and schedule M-'pulp. papers
and books'-was taken up. Mr.. Frye (Me)
entered a protest against the first para
graph Of the schedule. placing a duty OF 10
per cent on mechanically ground wood
pulp and chemical wood pulp. bleached or
/ unbleached. The production Of wood pulp.
said Mr.. Frye. was an enormous industry,
| employing 10000 men. turning out q pro-
duct valued at SS5.oo0.ooo annually and pay
| operation of the present duty the cost Of
paper had greatly decreased. Wood pulp
| had decreased IN price from ~. cents per
pound TO ! IA cents IN the last ten years.
IL was produced In twenty-nine ssstes
! principally in Maine and New YORK Our
| principal competitors were Austria, Sweden
Norway and Canada. The present duties
| We're SPECIFIC and were equivalent to from
IL TO Il per cent ad yalorem He had no
| particular objection 70 the slight reduction
TO 10 per cent proposed. but he appealed %
the other side TO make the duty specinc
instead OF ad valorem and proposed an
amendment 10 substitute equivalent spe-
| chic rates. ESQ per ton on wood pulp me-
| chanically ground: chemical wood pull. un-
bleached' S per ton, and bleached. $3.50 per
ton.
Mr.. Vests Explanation.
The democratic members OF the finance
| committee refused TO accept the amend
| n.tnt, but in connection with this nara
| graph Mr.. Vest made an explanation He
| called attention to a vicious and out
| iegeops attack" made some time ago ny a
| certain eastern newspaper on Mr. Jones
and himself. changing that in reducing the
| duty upon wood pulp they had beea in
| nuenced by prominent democratic leaders,
| one OF whom had been a membe- OF the
| cabinet (Air. Whitney,. who were represent
| ed as having invested extensively in Cana
dian wood pulp mills. Mr.. Vest stamped
| these charges utterly false and unjust
The only object OF the finance committee
| in framing this schedule. he said. had beer
| TO furnish the people an article OF every
day necessity as cheap possible.
| No one. he declared. had applied TO the
committee for this reduction In the interest
| of importers or outside manufacturers. Ar.
| frye's amendment was rejected, 20-2s
Pulp and Paper.
The rate OF sheathing paper and ~ofing
felt was fixed at 10 per cent: on printing
paper unsized. sized. suitable for books and
1 nj
| from the House rate on unsized Iaper
from II to L. per cent?; on copying paper,
| tltering paper. tissue paper, sensitizec pa
| per, etc, 30 per cent tan increase of per
! cent from the House rate): parchment
papers. cardboards. photograph and auto
| graph albums. wholly or partly manufac-
| tured. 80 per cent; hthographic prints, q
Ier cent. lithographic labels 45 per cent
| blouse rate - per cent?; paper envelopes,
70 per cent; paper hangings. 20 per cent;
blank books. 80 per cent: books. including
pamphlets and engravings. photographs,
| etchings, 70 per cent; playing cards 10
cents per pack. and 20 per cent ad valorem;
manufactures OF paper. not specially pro-
4 vided for, - Der cent.
This completed the pulp and paper para
graph, and the Senate Immediately pro-
ceeded with schedule y. ''sundries" The
/ following rates were fixed without deoate:
Hair pencils and feather busters 30 per
cent: brooms. 10 per cent; button forms, 10
per cent; agate buttons. - per cent: pearl
:
per cent: ivory buttons. glass, bone and
horn. 80 per cent: shoe buttons. 25 per cent
The Coal Schedule.
1t was not until coal was reached that
opposition developed. The House bill placed
coal on the free list. The finance commit
! tee amendment placed a duty of 40 per
cent per ton on bituminous coal and shale;
Il cents on slack and culm and Is per cent
ad valorem on coke.
As soon as the clerk had read this nara
graph Mr.. Hin and Mr.. PETER jumped 10
their feet. The New York Senator was
recognized. and he sent TO the clerks desk
| an amendment 10 relesate bituminous coal
and shale to the free list
Mr.. Hill Wants Free Coal.
He supported his amendment with q
speech. He admitted at the outset that from
what had occurred in the past the amend
ment would be defeated by substantially
the republican vote ana the vote OF those
/ democrats who seemed resolved 10 vote
/ against this class OF Gmendments. IL was
useless for him. he said. &c enter into a
! lengthy argument He simply want Il 20
call the attention OF his democratic COLI