The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-17
TARIFF ON STEEL WILL BE REDUCED In Spite Of SchUabs Tsstss ]
 a Gut Will FOIIo.ss
  PROFIT FOR z sHINGHAM Steel Rails and Other Steel Products Can Be Made More cheaply in Birmingham Than Anywhere
 Else in the Country.
PROFIT FOR sNINGHAM

Washington. December 16.-(Seecial.)- There seems little to justify the predic- tfon of some of the protection organs that the argument of Charles Nj. 5chwab before the ways and means committee yesterday Demonstrated the necet sity of the maintenance of the present rates, and will result in little reductions. From what can be learned of the attitude of tue com mittee on the steel schedule, the former head of the United States Steel corpor- ation did not make out any such case. The Payne bill as 1t will be reported to the House is expected to carry maxi mum duty of about s a ton on pig and about S2 minimum. The present rate is S. The tariff on steel rails, which is now $1.s4 will hardly be more than s max imum and $ minimum. There will be cor responding reductions on struetuara1 iron, bars, billets, pipes, etc. However, the tes- timony of MT. Schwab was in the main close to the facts and undoubtedly threw light on the cost of production of iron and steel, while most of the. testimony heretofore had been of an unsat sfatct ory nature
 Representative Underwood of Alabama, who, owing to the fact that he is a mem- Der of the committed, cannot discuss tariff rates. is especially pleased over the Schwab testimony. "It shows,' said Mir Underwood today, 'that it costs oyer s to make 2 ton of pig iron at Pittsburg. That is conclusive evidence that the Bir- mingham district has a great advantage in the production of iron and steel, and is convincing that Birmingham will become the great iron and steel center, for we can produce our ore at about one third the cost stated by Mir. schwab of Pitts- burg" Ts.
 Gambling on cotton futures had an in- ming in the House today with Repre- sentative Hefiin of Alabama one of the principal speakers MT. Henin declared the producer ought to be relieved of the outrageous and destructive competition to which he Is now subjected by the specu- lator who offers upon the exchange a fictitious product which he cannot and does not intend delivering. ''These gam bling exchanges" said MT. Hefin, "buy and sell a fictitious product and the price they fix determines the price of the entire cotton crop. This obnoxious method de- prives the farmer of his right to a voice in fixing the price of this important prod uct--a right which is accorded other pro- dueers.
 "The south wants an honest market, and such prices as will follow the un- hampered operation of the law of supply and demand. We want to return to the principle which is as old as commercial intercourse itself, and that Is the seller shall be ce compelled in good faith to deliver the commodities sold at the time and place specified in the contract
 "The cotton gambler is not help but a hindrance to the producer He is not friend but a dangerous enemy to the farmer. He Is not a blessing but a curse to the south. What the producer recds is an open market-open to the world In order to obtain this he must fight anything and everything that hin- ders competitive buying.
 "These cotton gamblers are the trained soldiers of warfare that has cost the south millions of dollars; that has sown the horrors of debt and mortgage upon the homes and farms of our people,
 At the request of Representative Craig of Alabama the agricultural department will station an agent in Selma or Marion Text year to instruct farmers in the growth of tobacco. Experts say that in this section of Alabama as good filler can be grown as can be found anywhere. The department at Mir. Craig's request will also give demonstrations in Dallas county next year in cultivation. There are many artesian wells in this county which can be advantageously used. Former Governor Oates of Alabama. who was appointed the commissioner to mark the graves of Confederates who died ir the north. will ask for additional legis- lation to enahle him to successfully carry on the work. Governor Oates returns to Montgomery tomorrow.
 Senator Bankhead left for home tonight to spend the holidays.