The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-04-10
CURRENCY And TARIFF,
Subjects Of Debate in Senate Yes.
terday.
RESOLUTION TO SEND DINGLEY
BILL BACK TO COMMITTEE.

The Free Wool Question Discussed by
Various MISUNDERSTANDING Appro-
priation the Topic of Discussion in the
House-Congressman Fitzgerald Pays
Respects to the A. A.
Washington, April "a letter from the
general secretary of the Armenian Relief
association was read by Mr.. Gallinger in
the Senate today, asking for immediate
action.
Mr.. Frye, chairman of the committee
on commerce, gave notice that that co IN
mittee would be in session tomorrow,
Saturday and Monday, to hear proposed
! amendments to the river and harbor bill,
and no longer.
Mr.. Mantle addressed the Senate In
support of resolution heretofore offered
by his colleague, Mr.. Carter, to recommit
to the finance committee the House tariff
bill, passed in the early days Of the ses-
sion. He spoke Of the unwarranted as
pensions cast by the metropolitan press
on the Senators who favored silver ooin-
age and who voted in opposition to that
bill; and he defended those Senators and
the people Of the silver states from the
indiscriminate charges of selfishness and
of patriotism.
The naval appropriation bill for the
coming fiscal year was reported to tile
Senate today. The four sea-going battle-
ships authorized in the House bill are
| left untouched. Amendments have been
made, however, in the provisions for tor
pedo boats. Instead of five capable of at
tanning speed of 26 knots, the Senate
has substituted three torpedo boats which
will in reality be torpedo boat catchers
with a maximum speed OF not less than
| 80 knots an hour.
| In place of ten or more torpedo boats
| to cost not exceeding $500, 600 and to have
the highest practicable speed for vessels
| OF their class, the Senate has substituted
provision for not to exceed ten torpedo
| boats to cost in all, not exceeding $500,
! 900.
An amendment provides that not more
than two batbleships or three torpedo
boats shall be built in one yard and that
| they shall be awarded 10 the lowest re-
sponsible bidder.
The House proviso requiring one of the
| UduulCpiSpe w NO Oullb OA Uuo EdOluC
coast is restricted by provision that in
order to do 50 it must be constructed at
an additional COST not exceeding 5 per
cent Of the lowest bid for the three other
bateleships authorized. The time within
which the contracts for these vessels shall
| be made is extended from ninety to one
hundred and twenty days from the pas
sage of the act
The House today resumed considera-
tion of the bill to abolish the compulsory
piiotage sy stem So far as 1t relates to sail.
| ing vessels engaged in the coastwise
trade. Mr.. Cooper of Florida, who pre-.
pared the views of the minority of the
committee on merchant marine, and
fisheries in opposition to the bill made
the first speech.
| Messrs. Elliot and Tylner also spoke in
opposition to the BILL
The bill was defeated III to ,52
An effort to get a vote by yeas and nays
! was unsuccessful.
Mr.. Mantle argued against the Dingley
bill, declaring that while it professed tc
| be in the interest Of the wool growers il
was really in the interest of the wool
man ufaeturers. A tariff bill, he said,
should be SO adjusted as to guard every
American industry. He admitted that
while he was an ardent believer in the
principle of protection, he was an equally
ardent believer In the advantages of bi-
metallism. Unless parity was estab-
lished between gold and silver one OF two
things, he said, must inevitably happen.
Either wages and the standard of living
| In Asia must be raised to the American
level or wages and the standards of living
| in the United States should be reduced &c
theirs. In conclusion, he expressed the
hope that the Dingley bill would be re-
ported back, with tair protective sub.
stitute and with provision for bi
metallism.
Mr.. Hawley, Republican of Connecti.
cut, said he had few figures which
proved that Mr.. Mantle was mistaken in
supposing that the wool manufacturers
benefited by the Wilson tariff bill. The
| impOT OTtations. Of woolen manufactured
goods into the United States for the cur
rent fiscal year, January, amounted tc
over S3S, 600. 600, us against S17, 500 900 in
| the corresponding seven months of last
year. Many looms in New England
woolen mills were idle or running on re-
duced time. With the passage of the Will
son tariff law, ne said, cyolone ha6
| struck the wooden industry of New Eng
laud.
Mr. Hoar. Republican of Massachusetts,
denied that the representatives of New
| England we're perfectly willing to leave
the wool growers in the luroh
Mr.. Mills, Democrat of Texas, said ht
desired to add a little to the truth oi
history. 1t had been intimated by tht
Senator from CONNECTICUT Mr.. Hawley
| that the woolen manufacturers of thu
United States suffered loss by the intro
duction of cheaper wooden goods and
cheaper wool" The official statistic.
showed that there had been much large.
Introduction of wool into the United
States than hal ever taken place unde
any protective tariff Nearly two hundred
million pounds more wool had beel
brought in to the country. Every fibre
of 1t was manufactured by American
labor. 1t had given employment to near