Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-11-28
VAN CLAvE REFUSES.
Does Not Care to Aid Committee In
Revision Of Tariff.

Washington, Nov. 27--"We ara fully
aware that the bill reported from the
committee will hc 'uds:tG by the peo-
pie, no: in the light or view of those
wise prophetsinr oriticS who are ]udg-
ing i. in advance. but in the light OF
what will be learned from the bill It.
self. and from an examination OF the
material before the committee
In these words, Serene Payne, chair
man of the House ways and means
committee. replied today to the letter
from J. w. Van Cleave. president OF
tie National Association of Manufac-
turers, declining an invitation to APP
near before the committee and critics.
ing the methods being pursued in re-
visins the tariff.
cot course, if you have no lnforma-
ton at your disposal which would aid
the committee in the formation OF a
bill I can understand your refusal to
appear If you have such information,
! cannot see why you do not accept tho
invitation which has been extended to
YOU, and which is still held out to you,
should you reconsider your determlna-
tiGn," concluded Mr.. Payne.
In his letter to the chairman of the
wavs and means committee. which was
in reply to an invitation to testify at
the tariff hearings before the commit
tee, Mr. Van Cleave says: eve would
rather bear the ills of. the Dingley tar
iff than to he a party to tariff reVls-
ion made in the old manner. To ap-
pear before you to plead for certain
schedules would be to acquiesce In the
superficial. unbusinesslike methods Oh
an investigation against which we pro-
test We have carefully watched all the
statements made by you and your as
sociatcs in recent years, and instead
Of convincing us of the errors OF our
Nays. We are more than ever conVlnc-
ed that your present plans of gathering
information on which the readJuStment
is proposed to be based. is wrong-rad-
ically. absurdly, fatally, wrong
Mr.. Van Cleave sets forth his views
regarding an expert. non-partlsan
tariff commission and claims that it
is impossible for the ways and means
committee in the limited time at lts
disposal to make an inquiry which can
furnish an adequate basis for any
such tariff as the country demands.
There was little of interest brought
out at today's session of the commit
tee which was to finish up the hearing
on the metal schedule. While automo-
biles are to be discussed fully at lat
er hearing, Charles M. Sheriff. OF New
York appeared today for the importers
Automobile Salon in favoring reduc-
tion on the tariff for automobiles He
charged that there is an automobile
trust which expects to get the duty on
automobiles increased.
instead of an "infant industry
which is seeking protection at the
hands of your honorable committee,
said MIR Sheriff.. "it could more prop
erly be called n trust. The American
manufacturers OF automobiles are dl-
yided into two large groups, one the
Association of Licensed Automobile
Manufacturers. which is organized
about the so-called Selden patents
and the other the American Motor
Manufacturers which does not owe al
lesiance to the Selden patents
The 'Selden patent is an ingenious de-
vice to maintain a high price for au-
to,nobiles among manufacturers
using the patent. Up till now all at
tempts to break this trust have falled
because it's foundation is United
United states patent which is mo-
nonoly granted by the government
Mr.. Sheriff. asked that the duty on
automobiles be reduced from 40 per
cent. to 80 per cent. ad valorem
The committee was in session until
a late hour this evening.
Representatives of labor appeared
before the ways and means committee
of the House today to advocate the
maintenance of the duty on TIL. JonIi
Williams, an official of the Amalgamat-
ed Association of Iricn, Steel and I'm
Workers, asked that the duty on tin
plates be maintained and that the sys-
tenn of drawback on exported TIN man
ufactures be abolished. The reduction
of the duty he said. would dernorahZe
the American industry.
AS Williams was about to leave the
stand Chairman Payne read letter
under the seal Of the United Sons OF
Vulcan of Pittsburg. protesting against
Williams appearing before the commit
tee to represent the tin workers. inc
letter declared that Williams had ao
vocated Rryan's election.
This led Mr.. Williams to denouhct
the rival union.
'JeH. Mutt. employed by the west
erh Bar Iron Association. includint
plants in Ohio, Indiana. Illinois ane
Missouri, asked that the same differ
entail between steel and iron bars
should be shown.
John W. Walton of Cleveland, ONO
as dealer. importer and consumes
OF wire rope. asked that the duty OF
that article be reduced
If you want to raise revenue yo,
should reduce the rate" advised Mr
Walton. "Now the American manu-
facturer gets all the benefit and TIL
government nothing, for the rates ar
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