Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-18
Forty Congressman From Middle
West Will Not Support Bill
Unless Duty is Repealed
ACTION WILL BRING RESULTS
Believed Stand Will Insure Change in
Schedules - Ways and Means Com
mittee Conducting Tariff Hearings
Adopt Methods to Put an End to
Criticism.

Washington, Dec. 1s.-Nearly forty
the great middle west section of the
country, have served concerted but in
formal notice on the ways and means
committee of the house, and on the
speaker also. that they will not vote for
any tariff bill which does not provide
for the removal of the 50 duty on rough
lumber.
This action, which has been taken
quietly, because Of desire not to sem
sationallze the situation. IT is believed
was all that was necessary to abso-
lutely insure the removal of the lum-
Der duty. 1t was pretty generally be-
lieved before this action had been talk
en- that the duty was to come off. but
whose votes are necessary to the pass
age of any tariff bill, will without
doubt, in the opinion of the experts,
insure free trade in lumber IN the
near future.
The forty republican members re-
ferred to say, in justification of their
course that the one paramount issue in
their districts has to do with the lum-
Der duty, and that they are each
solemnly pledged to bring about its
removal For them to vote for tariff
bill containing u lumber duty, no
matter even If a small one, would be
for them to vote themselves into retire
ment. The speaker and the committee
on ways and means will be quick to
see the practical Importance of this
situation, and if they have not pre-
viously favored free lumber. it is safe
to say that they will favor it from this
time forward.
Speaker Not Opposed.
In fairness to the speaker and to the
committee, however. it may be said
there is nothing of record here which
indicates that they will favor the re-
tention of the lumber duty Such signs
as there are point directly to the prob
ability that they will favor its remov-
AL When the lumber schedule was
being considered by the ways and
means committee, several weeks ago.
the only member of the committee who
stood up for the duty was Representa-
tive Fordney of Michigan.
1t is generally conceded in both
honses of congress that the new tariff
bill will be more scientifically drawn
than any which have preceded it. This
concession comes from the low tariff
democrats as well as from the high and
low tariff republicans. The ways and
means committee has gone about the
matter in way that has absolutely
hushed all criticism in this city, among
the men who are best informed regard
ing what is going on. and while there
is still good deal of the old-fashloned
stereotyped objection outside the city,
1T is predicted that even this will cease
as the true situation becomes known.
There has been much said about the
failure of the consumers to appear be-
fore the committee hearings. People
saving this are not familiar with the
tariff history of the country. If famil-
flair with it, they would know that at
no time, since protection became an
issue. have the consumers ever APP
peared before any ways ana means
committee preparatory to the drafting
of tariff bill. In the very nature OF the
case, being unorganlZed, ana thelr IN
terest individually in the matter being
very small, they can not appear. All
talk about their failure to appear now,
however, and the sinister conclusions
drawn from that failure, are utterly
beside the mark
Consumers Fully Represented.
The consumers will be represented
now, as thay ever have been in the
past. by the members of congress, more
particularly by the members OF the
house of representatives who are close
to the voters and peculiarly susceptl-
BILE to public opinion. The action al
ready taken by forty middle west re-
publicans regarding the lumber duty is
but one illustration CO how the repre-
sentatives of the people will stand Tor
the peoples interests when the tariff
bill is brought, up for passage
Much has also been said about the
fact that the new tariff bill is to be
drafted by the ways and means COM
nittee of the present congress, While
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