Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-25
FREE LUMBER
AMENDMENT TO
DUTY DEFEATED
SENATOR D0LLIVER ABAND0NS
FORMER POSITION
IOWA soLoN GOES OVER TO TIM
BER PRoTEcTIoNIsTs
Hepburn and cIapp Clash When For-
mer Asserts Revision Was Only
Promised by Frightened Re-
publicans at Chicago
IBv Associated Press.1

w ASHINGTON, May 24.-No single
! w piece of lumber was ever used
more effectively as a see saw
by children than was the great lumber
industry today by the United States
senate The lumber schedule of the
tariff bill was under consideration al
most the entire day, with Senators
Root, Hepburn, Borah and Dolliver on
| the one hand, contending for protecting
and Senators Clapp, Burkett and Nc
Cumber arguing as strenuously against
the policy. The day closed with more
than a two-thirds vote against SEN
ator McCumber's free lumber amend
ment, the ballot showing 20 for and
56 against
The surprise of the day was the atti-
! tude of Senator Dolliver, who hereto
fore had stood with the progressive
lists" throughout the fight. He took q
| positive position against the radical
| demand for free lumber.
Senator Root opened the proceedings
with an argument for a differential on
dressed lumber Senators Borah and
Heyburn contended for the highest
duty on lumber and Mr.. Borah argued
| that the policy of protection was a
System" and could not be maintained
| if there were to be constant exceptions
to it as was desired in the case of lum-
| ber.
Pleads for Free Lumber
Senators Clapp and Burkett argued
that lumber could be produced as
cheaply in the United States as in Can
| ada and contended that the lumber in
dustry of this country would not be
endangered by the free admission OF
| the Canadian product Senator Hey
burn spoke of the Republican platform
in a way that brought down some criti-
cism on his head and Senator Bailey
| declared he did not intend to be bound
| by the platform adopted by the Demo-
| Gratis at Denver. Mr.. Bailey said that
the enactment of the pending tarifr
| bill would see the dislntegratlon or the
Republican party
Senator owen made a sharp attack
| on the present tariff on sugar, saying
/ that it led to frauds by trust, ana
still earlier Senator Aldrich introduced
a resolution providing for an investi-
| cation of the expenditures Of the Vari-
GUS legislative departments.
Senator Hepburn submitted a large
amount of evidence concerning the cost
of producing finished lumber and the
need for a differential duty.
'The circulation of the Congress
sional Record is so limited and the in
terest of the press is SO small that
1 prefer to speak to those who must
vote on this question" said the Idaho
| senator
Two Senators Clash
A clash between Senators Hepburn
and Clapp followed the formers asser-
tion that the promise of tariff revision
was made by the few Republicans at
| the Chicago convention in the hour of
their fright
Senator Burkett favored a reduction
| of the lumber rates.
A plea for a differential duty on
dressed lumber was made by Senator
Root. who cited the various lumber
interests along the Canadian border
and said they should be accorded a
protective tariff He said the Dingley
rate should be retained.
| Mr.. Root read a communication from
the Amalgamated Woodworkers OF
America favoring the retention of the
| Dingley duties.
"The greatest foes to the protective
policy are found in the ranks of the
protectionists who would always make
exceptions" said Senator Borah in
advocating the duties recommended by
the senate committee on finance.
Senator McCumber replied the under
| lying principles of protection had no re-
/ lation to the lumber industry, "but
with the solid wall of protection for
| lumber I find here I know the chances
of the adoption of my amendment are
not very bright"
clapp Aids Mccumber
the McCumber amendment and Incl
dentally made an appeal to revise
| downward in order to fulfill the pledge
of the Republican party.
| Discussing the efforts of Republican
senators to have lumber placed on the
free list, Mr.. Bailey predicted that the
next tariff revision would be along
lines lower than the present revision,
and declared the free entry Of all raw
materials did not embody Democratic
principles.
"Since when has the doctrine of free
raw material ceased to be a Demo-
cratic doctrine ?" asked Mr.. Aldrich.
"Since such men as 1 have come into
power in the Democratic party" replied
Mr.. Bailey.
Mr.. Aldrich then insisted that Grover
Cleveland and every other man con-
cept Senator Bailey had advocated free
raw material.
Mr.. Bailey asked for unanimous con-
sent for a vote on the income tax
| Thursday. When Mr.. Aldrich objected
Mr. Bailey said he would object when
ever Mr.. Aldrich sought unanimous
consent for a vote on the tariff bill.
Mr. McCumber submitted another
amendment to put lumber on the free
list. This left rough lumber dutiable
at so cents per 100 feet and placed
finished lumber on the free list.
Mr.. Johnston of Alabama offered an
other substitute putting on the free list
all lumber, shingles and other articles
of lumber entering into the construction
of homes. Mr.. Johnston's substitute
was defeated by a vote of ga to912.
Mr. McCumber's amendment also was
lost the vote being Sc to %.
OF the twenty-five affirmative votes
fifteen were cast by Republican sena-
tors and ten by Democratic senators.
0-MArnr NlAI-M nr