The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-07-22
IS BIG STEAL.
NEARBY A MILLION DOLLARS
BY LAST CONGRESS TO RICH
STEEL MEN.
Inrocent on It's Face, but Scanda-
Ious in Its Provisions-Robbery
in Another Form via the
Congressional Route.

lA n IlOblCl II ~ h4 49, $A1>
Congressional Route.
Washington, July IA few
months hence the Court OF claims
will make an award of nearly one
million dollars to more than a score
of importers and manufacturers OF
steel. The courts generosity with
the money in the United States
treasury emanates from law passed
by congress last winter, and intend
ed to benefit the steel men. 1t is
SO drawn that it seems impossible
for tie court to do others wise than
allow the claims.
The law was approved by Presi-
dent Roosevelt on last January ..
It ia on its face, most innocent,
but is so framed as to be almost
equivalent to a direct appropriation
of money to men who refused or
failed to live up to laws which were
framed by themselves for the pur-
pose of keeping steel of foreign make
out OF En6 country.
These men and firms during the
boom times, from 1879, to 1882,
imported steel blooms because they
could not make enough in their own
rolling millssto supply the extra
ordinary demand. Not only were
steel blooms brought into the coun-
try, but also iron and steel of every
other description. The collectors
of customs assessed these blooms at
As per cent. ad valorem. The inn
porters who are the present claim
ants said the rate should be only
fraction over 80 per cent, but they
paid the higher rate without pro-
test. That point is to be remem-
bered, because in the case Of a dis
puted rate, the law says the i'm
porter shall pay the money under
protest and appeal the case to the
board Of general appraisers or the
secretary of the treasury If the
board cannot or will not give him
satisfaction. That method is fol-
lowed universally by importers and
is as well known as sending an un-
paid note 10 protest.
The present claimants did moth
ing of the kind. They waited un-
til after the time allowed by law
for making claim for rebate. Fif.
teen years ago, however, they went
to congress and said that they ought
to have rebate. They said the
statute of limitations barred them
from the court of claims and the on
" place where they could get Gus
tice* was in congress. That body
took the view that there was no ex-
euse for them not to have availed
themselves of their opportunities.
When Representative John Dai.
zel1, who is recognized as the
mouthpiece of the steel men in the
House Of representatives, was asked
why they had not paid the higher
rate under protest he said that they
were afraid to protest because the
had threatened to impose
q higher rate if they made an out
cry. There was much derisive |
laughter when he made that
But the House passed
The bill because the leaders had de-
cided that Daizell's friends needed
she money.
The senate had passed it before it
was brought up in the house. The
senate had passed a similar bill sew
eral times before. but the House I
held back until last,winter. In the
main the claims run from $4,000
zach to as high as nearly 800, 900,
and in all aggregate hearty a mill |
lion dollars. The claimants are all
steel manufacturers, whose
plants have passed into and become i
q part of the Billion dollar steel
sxnst.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, July III
Heart failure, due to over emotion,
was tbs cause assigned by the ply
sieians for the death of P. M. AR
sianr, of the Brotherhood of Lsco- !
motive Engineers, latelast night.
AsOut of the fullness of the heart |
The mouth speaks,'' were the open I
ing Vords of the last speech that !
Chief Arthur will ever deliver. The
speaker tnep< paused slightly, SEEM
ingly in a6 effort to control his feel
ings. The chairman had just pre-
sented him a beautiful floral gift.
AS the venerable leader began the
sentence, 81 want to say a few