Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-07-23
STATEMENT
SENATOR .eIvEs PROMISED OUT
LINE OF ATTITUDE TOWARDS
TARIFF. BILL.
WANTS LOWER DUTIES ON
MANUFACTURED ARTICLES
Iron, Steel and Other Schedules Too
High and He Favors Downward Re-
Observation-Disclosures Stand of President
Taft-cummins Speaks for Himself
Alone.

Washington, July Ex-senator Cum
minis, last night issued the promised
statement regarding his attitude on
pending tariff legislation, in which he
emphasized that he would not be sat
isfed with the reduction of duties on
certain raw materials and that man.
ufactured products ought to undergo
reductions that would bring duties on
them down to a reasonable point. He
Endorsed President Tafts position for a
downward revision.
At the conference at the breakfast
with President Taft, Senator Cummins
told the president that he would not
vote for the conference report unless
there were material changes in the
schedules on manufactured products
and in his statement he held to this
position.
Altho Senator Cummins is doubtful
whether Senator Aldrich will permit a
bill to come out which is a real down.
ward revision bill, under those circum-
stances he expects most of those repuo-
lican senators who voted against the
measure in the first place to refuse to
support it. Senator Cummins issued a
statement after comforting with various
revisionist senators, including Dolliver,
Beveridge, Brown, Bristow and others.
His position is undoubtedly in line with
theirs tho they concluded not to issue
a statement. Senator Cummins said:
Speaks For Himself Alone.
Il have no authority to speak FIR
the senators who voted against the
tariff bill. and they are not to be held
responsible for the opinions I express
tried to make my attitude toward the
senate bill clear during the debates
and see no reason to chang my mind in
any particular. indorse every word of
the statement recently made by the
president, and earnestly hope that ne
will be successful in bringing the con-
ferees to his views. The newspapers,
however, have seemed to put a special
emphasis upon the so-called raw ma
terals; and 1 feel compelled to re-
mind the public that neither his state
ment nor our fight was so confined.
"While it is of the utmost import
ance that iron ore, oil, hides and coal
be dealt with as proposed by the presi-
dent it is of still greater Importance
that the cuties on manufactured pro-
ducts shall be brought down some
where near the protective point. 1t will
We of little advantage to the body OF
the people to do away with unnecessary
duties upon raw materials If the man.
ufacturers are permitted to enjoy tho
excessive duties that enable them tt
take extortionate profits upon the
| things that the people must buy ant
use. shall not go thru the bill item
by item, for it is impracticable to recite
instances in which the senate bill fails
to reduce duties as they should be re-
duced. Those who have been contend
| ing for lower duties can afford to sur.
render part of their demands if they
can in main secure reductions which
insure the people against undue prices
in the chief commodities of commerce
instance, therefore, only the mos
prominent features of the senate bill
that ought to be amended.
Rates Still Too High.
"The iron and steel schedules, while
somewhat reduced, are still much toe
high. The duties on most of the ton
mage products as fixed by the senate
are above not only a protective point
but a prohibitive point While the re.
auctions in the steel schedule generally
are not sufficient, the work might b;
accepted if it were not for one increase
which, in my opinion, will do the PEG.
pie more harm than can be repaired
by all the decreases in the schedules
Structural iron and steel, the use OF
which is so rapidly increasing, i:
raised from the Dingley rate of s1t
per ton and the House rate of IS pen
ton to As per cent ad valoren, which
at the present price of this commodity
means a duty of SIS per ton, an in.
crease over the present law of Sc pei
ton, and over the House provision OF
$40 per ton.
when it is considered that the duty