Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-13
He Shows that Price of Window Glass
is Less Than Tax.
COST OF PRODUCTION DECREASED
Improved Machinery Has Cut it in
Half Since Dingley Law Passed.
CRAWFORD ON IRON ORE RATE
south Dakota senator says Any
TariT Lacks Wisdom that Encour-
ages Exhaustion OF Natural
Resources.
CTrom a staff Correspondentl !

WASHINGTON. May 12-(special Tel
egram.) Persistent hammering on the
part of the so-called progressive senator's.
| aided Unexpectedly by Senator Root,
brought an admission from Senator Aid
rich this afternoon that the schedule re-
Hating to windown glass ought to be re-
constructed and at the end Of the speech
by ScnatA- Burkett the chairman of the
finance committee asked that the
schedule be passed over for purposes of
revision.
This was the first public admission on
the part IF Senator Aldrch that some of
the schedules in the tariff bill were too
high, and 1t is expected that the senior
senator from Rhode Island will make a
number of other concessions before the
bill goes to conference.
Senator Burkett, without mincing his
words, took the position that the evil
dence showed that manufacturers were
selling window glass less than the Ding
lie ytarff; that If man was given his
window glass In EEurope he could not af-
ford to pay the tariff on II and bring II
| into this country; that, therefore, here
was no necessity for such high duty as
carried in the Aldrioh bill
Mr.. Burkett pointed out that by the in
vention of machinery America was now
able to produce glass for half what 1t
could be produced when the Dingley law
was enacted twelve years ago, and there
fore the Dingley rates were out of pro-
portion now
The senior senator from Nebraska in
sisted that nobody had undertaken to
Justify the retention of the Dingley rates
in the bill and he scathingly criticised
the committee on finance for permitting
debate to go on for two days without
explaining why they insisted upon main
tanning the schedules on windown glass.
Senator Aldrich in reply admitted that
the schedule was too high on plain win
dow glass, and stated that If a way could
be devised to separate plain window glass
from so-called picture glass and other su-
perior makes they would do so, and on
Senator Burketts suggestion Senator AL
drich asked that the schedule go over.
The senate proceeded TO the considera-
ton of rassed-over sections until the iron
or paragraph was reached. when Senator
Crawford spoke at length upon the lack OF
wisdom of any tariff that encouraged the
exhaustion of natural resources which
could not readily he produced. He insisted
that there should be no tariff on iron ore.
oil, coal and lumber. Early In the session
Senator Paynter spoke of the removal OF
c cents per pound on leaf tobacco as a
means of freezing the tobacco growers from
the control of the tobacco trust.
window Glass Schedule Taken Up.
Senator Simmons offered an amendment
to the window glass schedule Of the tariff
bill. reducing the rates below those sug-
gested by Senator Cummins in his amend
ment to the same paragraph yesterday
(From a staff Correspondent)
"The rates proposed by you are the rates
of the Wilson bill, are they not?" said Mr..
Carolina.
We'll" replied Mr.. Simmons, smiling.
that should not be an argument against
them | think If that is the case it would
rather be a commendation."
Mr.. Simmons then addressed the SEN
ate at some length upon the window glass
Industry to demonstrate that the glass
manufacturers could prosper with duties
much below those provided In the pending
measure.
Replying to a question by Mr. Burkett
Mr.. Hale declared that the tariff duty had
no relation to the protective duty levied
to build up the manufactures in this coun-
try.
Mr.. Elkins defended the interests of the
American manufacturers and declared re-
duction in the proposed duties would result
in lowering the wages of the operatives
strike and possibly the destruction Of
the window glass industry.
Retail Price of GInss.
Mr., Smoot said that since yesterday he
had telegraphed to New York to find the
wholesale and retail prices on a pane of
glass 12X14 inches. which was the article
largely affected by the schedule under
consideration.
yh9Ia u1n anaN % hat - -,
with duty added" Mr.. smoot said was
cents. The appraiser went to picture
frame store and found the price there to be
l5 cents Then he went to the department
store and the price Of the pane was 25
cents.
That" declared Mr. smoot advancing
to the center of the chamber and speaking
with emphasis 'is GO per cent / am
willing to allow so per cent profit, but that
is 800 per cent"
Mr.. Gore, the blind senator from Okla
! homa, declared an impassioned defense of
| retail dealers against any charge OF extor-
tion.
Mr., Aldrich contended that the duty on
glass had no relation TO the price at which
glass is sold I'm this country.
During a discussion OF the profits OF
window glass manufacturers by Mr. New
lands Mr.. Oliver of Pennsylvania objected
that there is not a window glass manufac-
turer I'm the United States today who is
making anything like a fair rpofit because
OF competition which keeps the price of
window glass down.
Il speak with feeling said Mr. Oliver
because within four years / have invested
no small amount Of money IN the manu-
factuo Of window glass, and / tell you It
disappeared as rapidly as though l had
put IL on the wrong number at Monte
Carlo"
On motion OF MIR. Aldrich the section re-
laung TO window glass was passed over
| temporarily and the senate proceeded TO
| consider other sections Of the bill agreeing