The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-12-23
CARNEGIE JOLT
AIDS IN REFORM
Furnishes Help for Taft in the
Battle for Lower
Duties.
STANDPATTERS CONFUSED
FORE WAYS AND MEANS CON-
MITTEE WILL HAVE MOST
TELLING EFFECT.

Chicago, Dec. 23.-Walter Wellman
in a dispatch to the Record Herald
says:
Andrew Carnegie has helped Mr..
Taft win an important part of his bat
tie for tariff reform. The duties on
steel will be reduced. 1t is not prob
able steel will be put on the free list,
but it is semi-officialIy admitted that
heavy reductions will be made in the
schedules. Mr.. Carnegie has convinc-
ed the country, but not the high pro-
tectionists of the ways and means
committee, that no harm could come
to the iron and steel industries, or to
its labor, and that possibly some ben
fit to consumers might follow, if all
steel were placed on the free list
Never before, it is safe to say, did
the ruling faction of the tariff commit
tee of the house, the high-duty faction
get such jolt the canny little Scot
gave them Monday. They have not
yet re covered from it. They are wait
ing to see what effect it is going to
have upon the country. Yesterday
they themselves described the effect
Of Mr.. Carnegie's onslaught upon their
minds, and the word they used was
confusion They are not quite
clear as to what they should do. AL
ready they go SO far as to admit it is
clear there may be some reductions in
the iron and steel schedules, but they
feel quite confident these will not go
so far as to make many additions to
the free list, nor do they believe the
cut will be horizontal. Their present
intention is to null over the schedules
cutting here and there, always with
more or less OF the old spirit of high
protective duties uppermost in their
minds.
Oral hearings before the ways and
means committee ended yesterday.
All who have asked to be heard have
either appeared personally while the
schedules I'm which they are interest
ed we're under consideration or have
submitted briefs. The witnesses sub
poenaed by the committee have also
been heard, and the committee is now
ready to proceed with the drafting of
tariff bill. The committee has not
been notably successful in exciting in
formation. 1t has experienced the u.s.
ual conflict of interests upon nearly
every schedule. Some of the wit
nesses have promised to furnish infor-
nation which they could not give
while on the stand and when this data
is received the committee will be bet
ter able to reach its conclusions
Especially is there confusion in the
iron and steel schedule. A majority
of the. committee favors reducing the
duties. How far this reduction should
go. whether it should be a horizontal
cut of so per cent or whether there
should be free trade in certain iron
and steel products, is a question upon
which few of the members of the COM
mittee are willing at this time to COM
NIT themselves. Mr.. Carnegie is the
only great ironmonger to advocate
free trade. Opposed to him the COM
mittee has heard Mr.. Schwab and
Judge Gary. at present directing the
affairs of great steel plants. They do
not petition for free trade, but Judge
Gary frankly admits that under free
trade the steel corporation, over which
he presides, would. if it survived, be a
trust.