The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1909-03-19
LINES CANNOT BE DRAWN UPON
QUESTIONS OF
TARIFF.
WANT PROTECTION
Each Of the Industries of His Own
Community-Champ Clark Declares
That Wool Tariffs Are Too Low
Reciprocity Now Possible.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., March 49,
That party lines will be eliminated
during the consideration in the house
of the Payne bill was indicated by the
action of Representative Brousard, of
Louisiana, IN Withdrawing today from
the meeting of the minority member
ship of the committee because he diff
fered from their views on the tariff.
With few exceptions each member
will fight for the interests of his home
district. There is little prospect of a
lengthy general debate and the con-
sideration of the measure under the
five minute rule for amendment will
be proceeded with as soon as pos
sible, probably by the end of this
week.
Unless a gag" rule for the preven-
tion of unlimited amendment under
the five minute rule is brought in,
the minority members of the ways and
means committee will not report a
separate bill. Their report will be
drafted by Minority Leader Clark and
will severely criticise the wool sched.
ule. 1t is contended by the Demo
Gratis that it has not been cut suf-
ficiently to place it on revenue basis.
The Inheritance tax, Philippine free
trade, internal revenue and maximum
and minimum features of the bill are
indorsed by the minority leader and
there has been much comment on the
measure by Democratic committee
men. Champ Clark today declared
that he had not had sufficient time to
look into its provisions to enable him
to comment upon them.
1t is understood that the minority
leaders favor the removal of the re-
strictions on the quantity of sugar and
tobacco that can be admitted free of
duty. On the other hand, several
southern Democrats are endeaVoring
to have the free trade provision
amended so as to exclude rice, their
contention being that rice could be
sent from the Philippines to the Unit.
ed States markets and sold for two
cents pound if admitted free from
the Islands. This, they say, would
ruin the rice industry in this coun-
try.
A number of Democrats will join
with some Republicans in an effort to
keep the duty assessed by .ne Ding
ley bill upon lumber. The fight for
free lumber will be headed by Champ
Clark, it is said.
He has expressed himself in bitter
terms regarding the lumber situation
in this country. During the tariff
hearings he arraigned the lumber mag
mates and delved deep into the in
tricacies of the stumpage and railroad
land grants.
Great Britain and France probably
will be the first countries to secure
the benefit of the rates named in the
Payne bill According to the COM
mittee's report, made today, Great
Britain has been unable to secure the
benefits of reciprocal trade agree
ments provided for by the Dingley
country fairly in her customs acts.
AS the French trade agreement with
the United States contains no pro-
visions for its continuance for any
time after it has been abrogated by
either nation France may receive the
benefit of the minimum rates of the
Payne bill as soon as it is enacted
the matter being entirely in the hands
of the French government. The ways
and means committee estimates that
the entire revenues to the government
for the fiscal year 1910 provided the
Payne bill is in operation will be $862,-
065 900. AS the amount for which rev.
enue will be required for 1910 is esti-
mated at $S72,221, ,701, it is claimed
the deficit for 1910 will be about
$10,000,000.