West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-11-19
OUR washington LETTER
Tariff Tinkerers Busy In National
Capital
WASTSCHEDULES REVISED UPWARD


From Our Regular Correspondent
WNsuINGpnN, Nov. Politicians and
political wiscacrs. of whom there arr a
great many i'm Washington Just now. are
absorbed in the subjects of tariT tinker
ing, cabinet making, clccting the speaker
ot the SiNty-frst congress, and in the
prospective contests for number of inn
portant scnaturships
The tariff tinkcrcrs are having their
hearings i'm the new house offices near
the south end of the capitol. There, at
II round table on an elevated dias, is sit .
ting the chairman and members of the
ways and means committee taking evil
dcnce, as IL is called, i. e., they are hear
ing from the various Interests" Each
interest is willing to have reduction of
the tariff on all manufactures cxccp, it's
own. It's own manufactures il would like
to have further protected. Instead of sub
mitting To revision downward, after they
had inicrcntinlly shown that To be possi-
bic even on u protection basis. the repre-
sentatlNcs of the chemical, drug, paint oil =,
color, and liquor interests who appeared
beiow the committee to give information
had. the gall to urgc revision upward
whenever they did not insist on standing
pat on the present duties in the schedule
involved. Over 100 articles are embraced
under the heading Chemicals, Oils, and
Paints They admitted that the con-
tcntion for higher rates was inspired by
the desire for greater profit.
The consumers side of the question
was debated by Mr.. Alfred Plaut who
drafted the schedule for medicinal chemi-
Gals for the Wilson bill during Clcvc-
lands administration. "Thc duties on
medicinal chemicals" hc said, care
mostly prohibitivc, being in many cases
% rer cent, which il prohibiiivc rate. "
Twelve committccmci four OF them Dem
ocratic and eight Republican, were pres
ent throughout TIE h.. ring and Chairman
Payne's insistcncc on the protective prin-
ciple was apparent in nearly every ques-
ton he asked. This was also true of the
questions of Representatives Dalzcll and
Hill.
Representatives Bourkc Cochran, Of
New York, and Underwood, Of Alabama,
showed 10y their questions that their con
tcntioi was for tariff for rev uuc only.
Let me AK II that rate is prohihtivco"
was frequent question propoundcd by
Representative Underwood, Of Alabama.
An interesting feature Of the hearing
was the way in which Bourkc Cochran,
Of New York, led Mr.. Arnold on i'm the
relation Of his business life; how i'm the
early ninctics he used 10 rob the Amcri-
can public by selling sewing machines for
$50 and 500, which he sold proftably i'm
South America ut SIG 30 each. This Ar
mold appeared ~ the representative Of
the varnish manufacturers, but Cochran
led him Ia talk until hc elected the con
fcssion about sewing machines 10 the dis
comiiturc of the Republicans Of the
committee
"Oh But the quality OF the goods we
sell abroad is far inferior 10 what We sell
here" explained Arnold
There was general laughter aud Mr..
Cochran dismissed the witness with tine
remark, Most Illuminating"
Despite the sHcpticism Of genuine tariff
rciormcrs, there comes information from
the White House that there will be real
reform Of the tariff. Not much, it is said
will be- accomplished during the regular
session, but at the special session called
after March it * expected that there
will be- something doing and something
done
The impression II gaining ground that
Speaker Cannon will h. elected 10 sue
cccd himsclf though there will H. oppor
tunity during the short session for much
wire pulling and log rolling, and it IT.
possible that Mr. Burton Of Ohio, Mr..
Fowler Of New Jersey, or Mr.. Boutcll Of
Illinois, may bc elected instead Of Nr.
Cannon
Cabinet making IL pastimc indulge /
in 10y everybody interested i'm politics lust
now. Mr.. Taft has had large as-ort
mcnt Of cabinets prepared for him They
arr made up, 10 large extent, Of Prcsi-
dent Roosevelt cabinet. but the opinion
IL gaining ground that thc now President
will select cabinet of his own. lie
would probably like to retain Secretary
Root, though Mr. Taft has had some cx.
pcricncc a. I dipomali-t him-clf and
will have tine advisory assistance Of Mr..
Root, a. hc will Of large number Of able
men, whether they are in the cabinet
or not
The position which Mr. Root holds in
public affair and in the estimate of pub
lic men here and abroad is almost unprc.
ccdcntcd Just now be- b. mentioned as
the one person of all others ~ head the
cabinet of the ncw President. hc is also
mentioned a. urc oi the New York sopa.
torship ~ succeed senator Plat whose
term expires ON March g. lie j. pcrhals
the abIcst lawyer in the country and
would III admirably on iI,o bench Of the
chief Justice OF thc United states lie
would hc unoqualcd ~ attorney general.
He has done more as secretary oi war
than any of his predecessors. jefferson
Davis and Edward NJ Stanton not cx-
ccptcd, Indeed the value Of such pro.
found and mastery man to the country
is incstimabe Il was through his in