The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-11-13
DEFENDS AND
EXPLAINS THE
TARIFF BILL
Senator McCumbef Makes Elk.
: haustive Explanation Be-
fore Civics Club
ALDR|CH BILL SUBSTANTIAL
REVISION DOWNWARD ON RATES


Cites Many Of the Items in the Va.
rious Schedules Which We're Re.
duced or Put on Free List-Belieyes
Work Entities Him to Reelection.
United States Senator Porter j. Nc
Oumber last night spoke before the
University Civics club on the Tariff"
and the course of his argument was
directed towards making the tariff
clear, and explaining his vote on the
various schedules. In the course of
his remarks the senator took occasion
10 refer to the various uncomplimen-
tary remarks of the country regard
Ing his vote on the various schedules.
The speaker first gave an extended
explanation of the committee prob
lem in the senate. He showed
where the Republican caucus elected
/ committee on committees and this
committee on committees was mainly
responsible for the placing of men on
various committees. The places on
these were decided by the seniority
II the men and for this reason, Sena-
,or McCumber, after hard fight, was
placed on the committee on finance,
which framed the 1909 tariff bill. Re-
Earling his work on the finance COM
nittee the speaker said:
"In this committee l stood for the
lowest possible reduction all along
The line, consistent with proper pro-
lection and for no tariff whatever
IN these great resources Of the coun-
Try which when once used become for
sver exhausted. stood for free lum-
Der to build our homes, our barns and
sur granaries; for free coal to warm
hose homes during the long cold win
Ter months, and for free oil to light
Them during the long winter nights.
[ did not secure absolutely free lum-
ber, but did get the tariff reduced
about fifty per cent. I did get coal
reduced to forty cents per ton and oil
placed on. the free list: got every
nail which is used in building those
homes reduced twenty to thirty per
sent. l got. every window pane re-
duced about twenty per. cent; white
lead for paints reduced thirteen per
cent. I got the tariff removed from
every post used in building fences
and secured q reduction on barbed
wire for fencing of thirty-seven per
cent. / secured reduction of twenty
Ave per cent on all wagons, mowers,
binders, harrow, drills, threshing ma
c1,inery, rakes, plows, ,cultivators,
planters, etc.
"Of course no one can say that he
alone secured this and that reduc-
ton. It required majority vote to
have mentioned were secured more
tee than those Of any other senator.
Now in, addition to the reduction
mentioned we secured a reduction on
almost every iron and steel article
which we purchase. We secured a
reduction of twenty per cent on ham
mers, sledges, crow bars, bolts, saws,
screws, sewing machines and type
writer's; reduction of twenty per
cent on hats and bonnets usually
worn; a reduction of forty per cent
on boots and shoes; on sole leather
and betting, seventy-five per cent; on
gloves, generally used. thirty per cent:
on harness, saddles, ETC., fifty-five per
cent; on sugar from the Philippines
no duty whatever, from Cuba reduc-
ton Of twenty per cent; sugar from
other countries but slight reduc-
ton.
"Now let any fair minded man an
swer: Is this not enough for one
mans work? The preparation Of ar
guments, the study Of each proposition
required months of arduous labor
f.:9m early morning until many nights
long after midnight. But this was
a small part of the work and of what
was accomplished for our state.
The senator then showed why there
was no reduction in the woolen and
cotton schedules and said that he
thought 1t was for the best interests
of the stock man and wool grower
that the duty should not be made low
er and for the interests of the manu.
was not made higher.
Where II Il Hard to Vote
Then the subject Of why perfect
tariff bill could not be gotten through
congress was taken UP and in this
phase of his argument the speaker
clearly showed that there must te
compromise, because there are men
OF 30 many different sections of the
country in congress and these must all
have different views. The speakers
remarks in regard to this were as fol-
Rows.
Every tariff bill like every other
measure which becomes law, is the
result Of compromise. II were to
prepare tariff measure that would
1ust suit my Views, one that l would
think did approximate Justice to all
sections Of the country, 1t would get
just one vote. and that would be mine.
Not another man would agree with me
on all the thousands Of items.
"As said before. the bill that
passes, II one Dasses at all. fs the onr