Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-13
Western States Are Without Repre-
sentation on Finance Committee.
ATTITUDE OF HOUSE DEMOCRATS
Minority Will Oppose Proposed Duty
on Coffee.
ALSO AGAINST THE STAMP TAX
Preparations Are Being Made TO Push
Fight for Tax on Legacies, as
SUGGESTED by Presidents
Roosevelt and Taft.

WASHINGTON. March 12.--The repub-
llcan senators of the committee on finance
will begin a systematic study of the new
tariff bill as soon as copies are obtained
They feel the Importance OF pressing the
measure TO a speedy determination end
Senator Aldrich, as chairman of the COM
mittee, has said that he would make an
effort to have the bill reported as soon
as possible after it's passage by the house
It Is expected that many changes will
be made I'm the senate and that most of
them will be suggested by the finance
committee In the senate the smaller
states have greater proportionate rep
resentation than in the house and If the
bill, as It comes from the house, should
fail to give what is considered adequate
protection to some of their indust' les,
there would undoubtedly be a strenuous
effort by the senators from those states
to restore the desired equilibrium. The
thlnly populated states of the west are
especially interested i'm the protection of
wool, hides, fruits, lead ore, copper, etc,
and will unquestionably resist any effort
to discriminate against them. and trey
would regard as such effort the placing
of any of these articles on the free list.
West Not Represented.
AS the committee on finance is at
present constituted the far west is " th-
out representation on IT,. There is little
doubt, however, that in the reorganiza-
tion this defect viii be remedied. but
even though there should be no change
In this respect. the senators are still con-
fident that the committee would take
care Of their interests If ii should fail
10 do so. they will make their fight on
the senate floor
The democrats in the house will oppose
the establishment of a duty on coffee and
the provision of the new tariff bill for the
re-estAblshmene OF the stamp tax on
checks, bonds and stocks II the republi-
cans do not provide for an inheritance tax
in the new bill the democrats declare they
will fight TO have an amendment made to
the bill which would assess tax on lega-
cies and, It is said. would in this way EN-
barrass the republicans on account of the
recommendations of Presidents Roosevelt
and Taft.
The minority members. especially those
on the ways and means committee. are
preparing for the new tariff bill. but as
they have not seen the bill and viii not
be informed of the changes provided for
until It Is introduced, It is not known on
what schedules the main fight will be
made.
Democrats for Revenue TarIn.
Representative Underwood of Alabama
who Is minority member of the ways and
means committee. declared today that II
the duties imposed by the new tariff were
determined on revenue basis there would
be no need for taxing the breakfast able
or imposing stamp tax. He said an in
heritance tax offers the best means foI
making up the deficit In the treasury and
II the new bill contained provision foI
such tax neither the duty on coffee nor
on beer need be increased.
One of the provisions OF the bill which
many republicans as well democrats are
likely to attack IL that taking off the duty
on iron ore. The Dlneley bin imposes a rate
OF 40 cents a ton on iron ore and mporta-
tons in 1907 amounted to more than 5000, COX
tons on which the duties collected amounted
10 more than $iO0,0Oo
The placing OF iron ore on the free list
was advocated by John W. Gates and nu-
merous foundry and furnace concerns OF
the east and the Pacific coast. Represen-
tatives OF iron mines in the Lake Superior
Messaba and Adirondack regions were ia
vorable to a reduction from 10 to Is PEI
cent In the duty on iron ore if IL was pro-
posed to make a general downward revision
OF the tariff The National Grange favored
the placing OF iron ore on the free list as
being in line with the idea of conserving
the natural resources OF the country.