Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-19
HOUSE IS AFTER The FACTS
Members Want to See Correspondence in
Venezuelan NEGOTIATIONS.
TO REDUCE THE PHILIPPINE TARIFF
= I,bIicRns Favor Twenty-Five Per
u # the DinEIey Rates and
rats want TO Estab-
Free Trade.

-
WASHINGTON. Dec. 1s.-The house to-
day passed the bill to reduce the duties on
imports from the Philippines from IS per
cent of the Dingley rates to 25 per cent
The discussion was accompanied by con-
siderable maneuvorihg by the democrats to
secure test votes on amendments to lower
the tariff still further Finally a record
vote was forced on a motion to recommit
with instructions TO report a bill for alb
solute free trade with the islands.
The division on the proposition was on
party lines, with the exception of Mr.. Nc
Call, republican (Mass.), who voted with
the democrats.
The discussion Of the pure food BILL
which has been made a continuing order
until disposed Of, was begun. Mr.. Tomp
kins co., and Mr. Adamson (Ga.) opened
the debate respectively for and against
the bill. Mr.. Gardner opposed the bill.
The Mccall resolution calling on the
State department for the correspondence
in the Venezuelan embroglio was adopted
at the beginning Of the session.
In the absence OF the speaker, who at
tended the wedding of Representative
Blackburn IN c., Mr.. Dalzell (Pa.) today
presided over the deliberations of the
house.
Call for Letters.
Immediately after the reading Of the
journal Mr.. Hit Gll.), from the commit
tee on foreign affairs, reported back the
De Almond and Mccall resolutions calling
upon the secretary of state for the facts
with relation to the claims OF Great Britain
and Germany against Venezuela and gem
orally for a statement Of the diplomatic
situation. with reference to the Monroe
doctrine.
The report recommended that the De
Armond resolution lie upon the table and
that the Mccall resolution. which called
for all the correspondence in the case. be
adopted
Mr.. Richardson CTenn) asked why Italy
and other European countries, which were
figuring in the controversy, were not named
in the resolution.
Mr.. Hit replied that he was advised that
the correspondence was similar in each
case. The recommendations Of the COM
mittee were agreed to and the Mccall reso-
luton was adopted.
The house then went into committee OF
the whole and took up the consideration
Of the bill reported by the ways and means
committee yesterday to reduce the duties
on articles, the growth and product Of the
Philippine archipelago from IS per cent
Of the Dingley rates to 25 per cent.
Mr.. Payne IN. " explained the bill. The
Philippine government, he said, needed rev.
enue and for that reason II was impracti-
cable to totally abolish the duties.
Mr.. Richardson TENN said he believed
any duty was unjust, unconstitutional and
unamerican. but he believed in a reduc-
tion. He gave notice that he would vote
to recommit the bill with instructions to
report it back amended so as to provide
for free trade with the islands.
Mr.. Mcclellan IN. " recalled the fact
That General Wright vice governor of the
Philippines in a hearing before the ways
and means committee. expressed the
opinion that the free importation of Phil
ippine products would best subserve the
interests Of the islands.
Mr.. Richardson's motion was defeated on
a roll call by 81 to 1872. The bill was then
passed without division.
Pure Food Discussed.
The house next took up the bill to pre-
vent the "adulteration, misbranding and
imitation Of foods, beverages. candies,
drugs and condiments in the District of
Columbia and the territories" known as
the pure-food bill. It was arranged that
Mr.. Hepburn should control the time for
debate in favor of the measure and Mr.
Adamson (Ga.) that against 1t.
Mr.. Tompkins (O.). who reported the bill,
said It was the embodiment of the views
not only Of the majority of the members of
the committee, but of vast majority Of
all persons and associations who had
sought to prevent fraud and injury in the
sale OF food products and drugs that came
within the scope of interstate commerce.
The bill did not prohibit the manufacture
or sale of any food product not deleterious,
however adulterated. or prohibit the sale
of adulterated drugs. but 1t provided that
all adulterated foods and drugs should be
placed on the market under their true
names and in such manner as to advise the
purchaser what he was getting.
He referred to the revelations before the
committee, where II was shown that fraud
and deception was practiced in foods not
suspected OF being other than genuine by
the general public.
Mr.. Adamson (Ga.) opposed the bill. TAX
ing the ground that the states could deal
adequately with the situation. He believed
In protecting the public against fraud. but
did not believe in imposing the task on the
federal government No one could contend
that a state could not punish common
cheats and swindlers II they sold one thing
and delivered another.
Mr.. Gardner (Mass.) opposed. He de-
clared the bill would interfere with, many
legitimate industries Boracic acid was used
in the preservation OF Goldfish. and under
the terms Of the bill would be regarded as
deleterious to health by the government
chemists. He said he would offer an amend
ment to meet this objection.
In conclusion, he said there was a good
deal OF humbug in the outcry against adul-
terated goods. II men ate adulterated foods
they did not want to know 1t, any moro
than they wanted to know the unhealthful
conditions with which they we're sometimes
surrounded. The anti-spitting and so-caIled
health regulations and ordinances were
overdone.
without action on the bill the house .ad-
journed.