Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-07
TOBACCO RA|SERS
GRANTED RELIEF
HOUSE ADVOCATES FORMER
TAXATION
Lacey and Williams Discuss Tariff
Matters-Duty on Typesetting
Machines Brings Out
Strong Utteranees
BY Associated Press.

for the relief of tobacco growers by per-
mitting them to sell leaf tobacco with
out paying the tax of 6 cents pound
heretofore charged.
The balance of the day was devoted
to tariff discussion, the Indian ap-
preparation bill being the vehicle to
carry the debate. Preceding this, Mr..
Rucker of .ssouri, who brought forth
designed arguments to sustain the
Democratic idea of tariff for revenue
only, closed with the prediction that
these ideas would prevail with w. ].
Bryan as the standard bearer.
Mr.. Tracey, in discussing the home
market and the German tariff, initiated
a lively fire argument on both sides
and participated in generally and near
the close of the day Mr.. Williams. the
minority leader, talked tariff for more
than an hour.
Mr.. Williams set forth the various
bills he has introduced ami asserted
that per cent of the cost of the COM
modities would cover, as a rule, the
actual cost of the labor in their pro-
duction.
Take Up Indian Bill
The Indian bill, carrying a $7,7S5, ,52S
appropriation, was Lnen taken up, and
Mr.. Sherman of New York explained it's
provisions.
Mr.. Sherman concluded his explana-
tion with the prediction that the time
would come when the great body of the
indian people of the continent would be
self-supporting along lines of industry
to which they are best adapted
Comparing the increase in the pro-
ducts of the farm and the factory and
the value of productive and industrial
property under high and low tariffs,
Mr.. Rucker of Missouri drew the con-
clusion that the lower the tariff the
greater had been the increase of wealth.
That since 1850 the tariff had been
made higher and the increase of pro-
duction had been less.
Turning his attention to the tariff OF
Mergenthaler typesetting machines,
Mr.. Rucker said it had been deter
mined that these machines could be
produced for $500 and yet they were
sold for $4,000 because of the tariff.
There were 10000 publications in this
country affected by this price. Thou
sands of petitions from editors had
been sent to the present congress,
urging the removal of this prohibitory
and monopolistic duty"
Asked to Heed Petition
"Will not the gentleman heed these
petitions?" he asked. "Then every Re-
publican editor in the country who has
the backbone of an angleworm ought
to unite and make the condition of
Republican members such that they
will cry out Wherever / fly Is hell;
wherever light is hell"
Mr.. Rucker concluded with the pre-
diction that with a tariff revision plat
form and William j. Bryan as its con-
didate the Democratic party would, as
cyclone, sweep the country.
Mr.. Lacey then took occasion also
to discuss the tariff.
His conclusions provoked a lively
running debate involving Messrs. Clark
of Missouri, Weisse of wisconsin, Pow
ers of Maine, Gardner of Massachu-
sets, Williams of Mississippi and
Grosvenor of Ohio.
The net result was that Mr.. Weisse,
who is a tanner, land therefore," ac-
cording to Mr.. Lacey's quotation of
Shakespeare, will last nine years when
he is dead" declared that the Ameri-
can farmer was losing $1,000,000 year
because of the tariff on hides and also
that many tanners were moving to
Canada because of that duty. He Also
in answer to Mr.. Garner, declared that
the ALLEGED tanners trust" controlled
only 20 per cent of that trade, and that
Mr. Armour and his brother-in-law,
Mr.. Valentine, did not own a control
ling interest in it.
Questioned as to Politics
Mr.. Lacey said he had voted twice
for Cummins for governor and would
dc so again "if he is nominated OH
another ticket"
Mr.. Williams OF Mississippi then took
the floor for a general reply to Mr..
Lacey.
"There are few things" began Mr..
Williams, "at one and the same time
more amusing and more pitiable than
the acrobatic exploits of human intelli-
gence when attempting to prove that
laws which circumscribe and limit
trade tend to increase trade"
Mr.. Williams described some of his
tariff revision bills and asserted to
Mr.. Gardner of Massachusetts, who re-
Vived the free leather controversy, that
it was a very simple thing to get tariff
legislation. All that was necessary
was first to convert the speaker, then
the committee on rules. then Serene e.
Payne and finally the Republican mem
bers of the ways and means commit
tee. This ought not to be hard for
Republican to do, said Mr.. Williams
to Mr.. Gardner.
Call 1t Joke
One of his bills, Mr.. Williams said,
provided for reduction of 100 per
cent of all duties over that amount.
He had seen the speaker quoted as
saying This must be one of John
Sharp Williams jokes, as there are no
such duties"
In answer to this he read this list
of articles on which the duty is greater
than 100 per cent:
Chalk (tailors). 1O6 per cent, of
which $4,000 worth was imported last
year, on which the tariff was $4,000;
boracie acid, 122 per cent; sulphuric
ether 230 per cent; cotton duck, over
eight square yards to the pound, 112
per cent; cordage, from 10S to 800 per
cent; fire crackers, 126 per cent; cheap
spectacles, 116 per cent; common win
dow glass, from 107 to $50 per cent;
looking glasses, 1870 per cent; etc.
He expressed the opinion that 25 per
cent on any of these articles would
cover the actual difference of the labor
on the article
The speech of Mr.. Williams con-
cluded the debate for the day.