The Mena weekly star., 1909-07-01
THE TARIFF DEBATE
LUMBER AND PINEAPPLE ScHEp. uLEs DISPOSED OF BY
 THE SENATE.
BOTH RATES WERE INCREASED
Finance Committee Had Smooth Sall- Ina on Lumber Schedule, But Ac- ton on Pineapples Was Had Only After Long Debate.

Washington, June 25.-In unex- pectedly short order the senate took ia and disposed of the lumber sched- tiIe and then. entering upon the discus sion of pineappies, put behind 1t the provision regulating the rates of duty on that article.
 Calling up the tariff bill immediate lv after converting at 10 o'clock, MT Aldrlch asked that the lumber sched- ule should receive first attention He had no sooner taken his seat than senator McCumber, who, in the in- terest of the treeless northwest has been a persistent advocate of free lumber, arose and presented an amend ment reducing the finance commit tees rates of $1.50 per 1000 on sawed lumber to he house rate of $1 per 1.0o0. This was generally recognized as a test proposition, as sawed lumber has been the bone of contention from the beginning. The North Dakota senator did not find Ii worth while to enter into any argument in support of his provision. but permitted 1t to go directly 10 a vote. The result was against him and was another triumph for the Aldrich rates the vote stand ing 24 in favor of an A against the reduction rate. Party lines were com petely obliteratcd on this vote
 Another test came on the proposI- ton to make a rate of $l.25 per 1000 on lumber with a general change in the diGerentias. and on this vote the finance committee was also liberally supported The entire wood schedule, making reductions of about 25 per cent from tho present law rates, and in- creaslng the house rates of the pend. ing bill to about the same extent was then agreed to.
 The sailing was not so smooth when it came 10 pineapples. The conten- ton in this connection was for higher rates. and came from Democratic sources. The objectors in this case were Senators Taliaferro and Fletcher of Florida The house had fixed a duty of eight cents per cubic foot on FihtApDiNS ii bdtANiS Aht Ot 70 pti LOGO. but the senate committee on f. nance reduced this rate to seven cents und s7 respectively thus restoring the provisions of the Dingley law
 Mir. Taliaferro presented an amend ment restoring the house rate of sS DOT 1000. but changing the other DOT tions of the provision so as to re- quire the payment of half cent pound for pine apples in bulk The contention was for and against this increase, and the fight was mainly be- tween the Florida senators. represent ing pineapple producing state and Senators Smith and Rayner of Mary land, in whose state there are large pineapple canning establishments Dlsavowing all championship of the canncrs. the Maryland senators made a strenuous fight on general principles against the increase of the duty. MT Rayner charged the Republican party with bad faith in promising 10 lower tarin duties.
 After debate extending over about four hours time the Taliaferro amend mcnt was adopted. 34 to 30. This was a defeat for the finance committee but the amendment was not strenuous ly resisted by the committee and sev- eral of it's members voted for 1t.