The Washington herald., 1909-05-18
DEPEW URGES HASTE
Advises the Senate to Rush
Tariff Measure.
AN INCOME TAX IS OPPOSED
Question of Duty On RaEOrs Again
Occupies Attention of the Upper
House Of COngress-smOOt Declares
Blades Worth Forty-nIne Cents
Sell for Three Dollars.

The Senate made practically little prog
ress yesterday with the tariff BILL
Under the agreement made Saturday
one hour Of time was added to the legis-
lative day by the Senate meeting at 10
O'Clock, instead Of at II.
Senator Sutherland, Of Utah. took the
floor as soon as a quorum was obtained
and spoke until nearly o'clock, and then
Senator Depev. Of New York. addressed
the Senate until about O'Clock.
He opposed the adoption by the govern
ment Of an income or an Inheritance tax.
urged speedy action by the Senate on the
tariff bin. and defended the Finance Com
mittee bill He was especially optimistic
regarding the prosperity in store for the
country when the tariff bill is disposed Of
Declaring that 1T is as plain as two
and two make four that the Standard Oh
Company would be the sole beneficiary Of
the free trade in oil between Mexico and
the United States Senator Depew
strongly favored a duty on petroleum
Regarding revision, he denied that the
Republican party was committed 10 any
particular kind Of revision.
The bill was taken up and an hour
given 10 discussing the paragraph reEet-
Ing to the duty or TszOrs. A pending
amendment by Senator Simmons Of
North Carolina. was rejected without the
formality Of a Eoll call whereupon Sens-
TOT Stone, OF Missouri. submitted an
other amendment. and that was still
pending when. az O'Clock, Senator AID
rich moved an executive session, AT the
conclusion Of which the Senate ad-
jCurned.
The Senate Committee on Finance had
reported an amendment greatly incress-
ing the duty on razors and adding pro
visions relating 70 the marking on them
70 insure against fraud on American pur-
chsseTs BY substitution OF foreign-made
rszors for those Of American msnufae-
ture- Senator Stone precipitated an inter
esting discussion OF the duties on rszors
by reading excerpts from a letter written
by a large wholesale dealer in hardware
In St Loy.is. who protested against the
increase proposed in the tariff bill
Calls German Razor Superior
The dealer said he had handled more
razors in the trade than any other dealer
IN the world and he declared. among
other things. that the American manu-
facturer could not produce a razor equal
10 those made in Germany. because Ger
mans were experts IN the grinding Of the
blades and they received such high wages
in Germany that they we're unwilling 10
quit their employment there to come 70
America
Increase OF duty was wholly In the inter
est Of a few manufacturers who had
taken control Of the American production.
Senator Smoot ventured into the debate
10 explain the razor paragraph He IN
folded an exhibit Of cutlery. and nearly
startled the Senate when he made the
assertion that firm in Little Falls, y
Y. had ordered three razors from I'm
porters IN Portland. Oreg.. FOR which they
had paid approximately f9 cents apiece.
including postage
Now those razors vlu be sold for g
apiece in the retail trade, said the Sens-
tor from Utah.
Senator Bacon interrupted 70 say that
q popular article of razor could be bought
al any Of the retail stores for , cents
His Best Blade Cost Quarter.
The best razor I ever owned cost only
2 cents" interposed Senator McLauEin.
Of Mississippi
When cid you own IT." inquired Mr..
Aldrich.
About twenty-five years ago replied
Senator McLaurin; and the Republican
Senators evidently considered this huge
Joke from the way in which they laughed
Senator McLaurin showed some curl
osity to know how Mr.. Snoot reached the
conclusion that the TazoTs he had dis
played would be sold for g. Have they
been scld YETI" he inquired
No. but they viii be- replied Mr.
Smoot.
Not after the Senator's statement. I
hope remarked Senator Bailey.
Denies There L. Trust.
Continuing. Senator Smoot declared that
twelve years ago there were sixty-seveR
manufacturers Of razOTs IN the United
States, and they had been reduced in
number to five on account OF the Invasion
by foreign manufacturers Senator Bailey
suggested that possibly there had been
an absorption OF all OF these firms into
FIVE corporations. Senator Lodge explain
ed THAI the total production Of razors in
the United States did not bear out this
conclusion. and added further Information
10 show that there was no trust
After Senator Hale had spoken for
some time. deploring the German invasion
OF the American market Senator La Fol-
lette took the floor to make a few OBJ
servatons on cutlery. He had not talked
long before Senator Ledge offered TO set
him right. suggesting that the Senator
from Wisconsin had confused safety
razors with the common garden variety
"Oh. know as much about rszors as
does the Senator from Massachusetts. and
in fact. I think know more about them -
replied the smooth-shsven Mr.. la Fol-
lette. and my face bears out the state
ment"
Senator Lodge strOked his beard as he
joined in the laughter that followed this
remark, and Senator Aldrich concluded
that il was time 20 adjourn
Senator Robert L owen. Democrat. OF
Oklahoma. announced that he would
speak and vote for the duty on crude
oil