Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-04-06
Southern Delegation May
Force House Machine 10
Remove Tax in Order to
Get Votes. y
GRIGGS ASKS BAN
BE RAISED ON JUTE
AND COTTON TIES
House Majority Seems To Be Willing
To Trade Protection on Long Sta
pie for Democrats Support of Ma
chimes Rule.
BY Ralph Smith

BY Ralph Smith
WASHINGTON, D. c., April 3.-There
is a strong probability tonight that the
duty on jute bagging and cotton ties
will be eliminated from the Payne tar
if bill by the ways and means commit
tee and that in their stead a duty of
five cents per pound be levied against
long staple cotton. Chairman Serene
Payne has the matter under advisement,
and may possibly concede these points,
provided the rule to be reported Mon
day receives 1.-The right kind of support"
from southern Democrats.
1t may be stated in this connection
that the house machine is depending
upon Louisiana, Georgia and Florida to
furnish votes enough to pass the rule
and bring the bill to a final vote by
April 10th.
Griggs Asks Removal
At the meeting of the ways and means
committee this afternoon Representative
Griggs moved to amend by placing Jute
bagging and cotton ties on the free
list Chairman Payne asked that the
amendment be not pressed for the time
being so that he might investigate the
assertion that the duty on ties yields
but $4,000 revenue a year and the duty
on bagging only $11S,0OO.
Representative Broussard, of Louis
lana, proposed an amendment to impose
a tax of five cents a pound on long
staple cotton to reimburse the govern
ment for the loss of the revenue on
ties and bagging, assuming that these
are to be placed on the free list.
Chairman Payne made the same re-
quest with reference to this amendment
and it was not pressed.
Relative to the probability of placing
cotton ties on the free list, it may be
stated that representatives of the At
lanta Steel company have been in WASH
ington this week, pleading for protec-
ton on cotton ties. Members of the
Georgia delegation have been urged to
stand by cotton ties, but it is not re-
garded as probable that the manufac-
.turers have received a great deal of en-
couragement from this source.
"Machine" Wants Votes
II Is also limited tonight that the house
machine evidences a willingness to trade
protection on long staple cotton and re-
move the tax on ties and bagging for
Democrats votes for their rules, because
the machine knows full well that the
senate will restore the duty on bagging
and ties and place long staple cotton on
the free list.
Indeed, it is admitted generally that the
senate will frame the law and any con-
cessions of amendments secured In the
house will be IN the nature of sope to
expedite business.
Chairman Payne's plea for time In
which to investigate the revenue derived
from the tax on ties and bagging and
the sum that would be raised by duty
on long staple cotton is regarded as a
cloak to conceal his real purpose of as
pertaining how many Democrats will vote
for the rule If these amendments are
provided by the committee and incor-
porated in the rule. 1t is possible that
the rule may not come in until Tuesday,
because the sentiment of the Democrats
on these amendments may not be salts
factorily ascertained by Monday.
Will Change Rules
1t may be stated, however, that free
ties, free bagging and protected cotton
are counted upon to save the situation
for the house machine. Many Democrats
tonight concede that the rule cutting off
debate and limiting amendments to those
reported by the committee will go
through either Monday or Tuesday,
though It is possible that the dissatisfied
western Republicans may develop
But at all events the Democrats are
prepared for the adoption of the rule,
and have perfected a plan of procedure
which is being guarded very carefully by
those familiar with its details. This plan,
It is said, provides for motion to re-
commit the Payne bill to the ways and
means committee. with instructions. A
record vote will be demanded on this
motion, which, 1t is believed, Will be lost.
The next general step will be to offer
a blanket amendment to the Payne bill,
making the present minimum rates the
maximum rates, providing for free lum-
Der, free ties, free bagging, free coffee,
free tea, free oil and a general reduction
on down the line in the duties provided
by the Payne bill.
Republicans Offer Changes
Fearing that the demands which they
on some of the principal schedules in
the Payne tariff bill might result in
changes which they consider more dis
advantageous than the provisions now
| in the bill, nearly thirty Republican
members of the house met today and
agreed upon the changes which they
| desire to have submitted in the form of
| committee amendments.
At the same time a meeting of all
| the members of the ways and means
committee was in progress to pass upon
| the amendments which the sub-com-
mittee of Republican members had sub
mitted There are about fifty or sixty
of them which the committee will re-
| port, including the striking out of the
countervailing provision for coffee and
| the duty on tea.
Inferring that they would vote against
any rule to restrict amendments to the
Payne bill unless the changes they de-
sire are provided for by the ways and
means committee, the Republicans who
met today decided to send the follow
| ing petition to Chairman Payne:
Amendments Proposed
ITO the Republican members of the