Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-26
PROTECTS SMALL PRODUCER:
New York Man Says He Acted at
Request of Constituents.
AIMED AT OIL FROM MEXICO
Free Oil Would Enable Refners to
Cut Prices of Crude Product.
SENATE BILL NEARLY READY
Finance Committee Says u Can
Report within Three Days
VIII Try TO Eliminate
UndervaIuatiOns.

UndervaIuatiOns.
WASHINGTON. March "A voluntary
admission b., Mr. vreeland OF New York
that he was to some extent responsible for
the retention in the Payne tariff bill Of the
countervaiing duty on oil was the climax
of the days discussion OF the tariff in the
house today. Mr. Vreeland had sat for
some time and heard various insinuations
that that duty which some have character
lied as. Joker" was to be levied solely
in the interest OF the Standard OIL COM
pany. This he denied and explained that
his action was in response to requests from
thousands Of his oil producing constituents
and in behalf OF 10000 others engaged in
the same business. The debate on the oil
schedule called forth some bitter criticism
of the Standard OIL company by Mr.. Kus-
termann OF Wisconsin and others.
In the course of the day numerous
speeches were made touching the tariff
question generally and many OF the sched-
ules in particular.
Kustermann on OIL Duties.
Mr. Kustermann of Wisconsin opposed the
countervailing duty on oil. which, he ar
gued, had enabled the Standard OIL com
pany to sell oil In England at from to
cents a gallon less than in the United
States He declared that he had received
positive assurance that that feature OF
the Dingley bill would be omitted from the
Payne bill.
"The people," he said, "were thus left
at the mercy OF that ever-hungry monop-
oily"
Replying to Mr.. Randall of Texas. Mr..
Kustermann said he was not prepared to
state that the position of John ID. Rookie
feller in the last election had something to
do with the oil schedule. IT, he asserted,
any one wished to find soul in the stand
ard Oil company he would make a serious
mistake
That no one for some time knew of the
presence In the Dingley bill OF the so-called
"oi jokert was the statement OF Mr.
Cooper OF Wisconsin. How # was put in
he said, he did not know, hut Il was put
in with the knowledge OF but very few
members of either the house or senate"
Protects OH Producer.
While declaring he was not defending
the Standard Oil company, Mr. Smith (Cal)
said It had no advantage over others in the
refining of oil. He argued that the pro-
duction of crude oil In the United States
was the business of the comparatively
small capitalist Those producers, he de-
clared, needed the duty I'm order that they
might realize a fair profit. Not Russia,
but Mexico, he said was the competitor
OF the United States. and Mexico was the
place where the Standard OIL company
would go to buy oil II the duty were taken
off, and leave the American oil producer
with his wells shut down. He insisted that
the duty in no sense was in the interest
OF the STANDARD oil company a refiner
and transporter OF oil. but was in the in
terest OF the producer.
At this Junoture Mr.. Vreeland IN "
rose and said that to some extent he was
responsible for that duty in the Payne bill
II did IT," he declared, sin response to
requests from thousands OF men in my
district engaged in producing oil. I did It
I'm behalf OF 10000 American citizens en-
gagged I'm producing oil every day of the
year. 1 did not do IL In behalf of the
Standard Oil company"
The bill was then laid aside and the house
adjourned.
senate Bill Nearly Ready.
Members of the senate committee on
finance reasserted today that they would
be ready to report a tariff bill whenever
the house passed the Payne bill. They
were informed that that time would not be
more than ten days or two weeks distant
in all probability and Senator Aldrlch re-
piled that the committee could be ready in
three days II necessary with every days
consideration OF the Payne bill, the senate
COMMITTEES is impressed with the fact that
IT hews close to the lines of the Dingley
bill, and as a result the work OF the COM
mittee il much simplified. The changes to
he made In the measure will be far fewer
In number than was at first anticipated.
The closest attention is being paid to the
administrative features OF the bill and an
especial effort win be made to avoid the
possibility OF differentiation of imports
such as caused disturbances a few years
ago over the importation Of fine potteries
from France.
Another question which is concerning the
finance committee Is the rearrangement OF
schedules on related articles. Among these
are pig iron and the manufactured prod
ucts of pig iron. Under the Payne bill
some fear rs expected that there Is too
great a similarity In the reductions of these
related articles, and that instead Of the
desired importation OF iron I'm pigs the man
ufaotured products may be imported In too
great competition with American manufac-
tures. While no agreement las been
reached by the senate committee the in
dication 10 that the rate on the manufac-
tured articles may be somewhat increased.
proposition has been submitted to the
finance committee on the subject OF lumber
which was received with some favor. 1t
provides for the free importation OF dimen-
stoned lumber, but with the continuance
OF the duty on Gull logs from which lumber
OF an inferior grade Is manufactured.
Chocolate and Wool.
Complaint also has been filed with the
committee against the more than 100 per
cent increase of duty on cocoa and ohoco-
late. Statements have been submitted show
ing that cocoa and chocolate are being
used more and more every year as break
fast beverages and that the Increased duty
will compel the consumer to pay much more
for these articles.