Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-28
SUNDAY TARIFF TALKS
House Ways and Means Com
mittee to Confer.
CORRECTIONS TO BE MADE
Republicans Avoid Caucus Agree
ment on Measure.
SILENCE OF JOHN DALzELL
Loyal to Associates-Gardn Speaks
for Hides on Free List and
Duty on Shoes.
SILENCE OF JOHN DALZELL

A Sunday session OF the ways and
means committee Is indicative of the de-
sire of the House republicans to expedite
consideration of the tariff bill. The COM
mittee will hold a meeting today to go
over the administrative feature of the
bill and make some desired corrections in
the phraSeology.
The House leaders are still undecided
over the procedure with regard to amend
ments to the bill and the holding of a
caucus. Some Of them are afraid that
the caucus question Is "a live wire.
There is decided objection by many re-
publicans to tying up the bill In caucus.
against amendments desired in behalf Of
their constituents.
The Pennsylvania delegation is in
stew. There's Mr.. Butler of the seventh
district. BY actual count there are 80
items in the tariff bill. from silk skeins
to locomotives. that interest his constiu-
ents. For several days the leaders have
been pursuing Mr.. Butler to tag him for
caucus. Every time they think they
have him In a corner and are about to say
You're it, he SHES away and cries.
like that.
Silence Of John Dalzeu.
There is John Dalzell, who. from time
| immemorial. has been one Of the big
guns in tariff debates, but who now says
he will not make a speech on this bill
at all. The boys say-teasingly. Of
course-that Mr.. Dalzell finds himself
| between hawk and buzzard'' in regard
to this bill. which hits SO many of the
interests of his state but which, as
loyal member Of the ways and means
committee. he must still support, and
that he is actually driven to the tall
timber
Think of a tariff bill up in the House
and Mr.. Dalzell silent upon 1t!
The debate yesterday ran until 8
last ev cbanscter Mas arf MI
Gardner of Massachusetts, got down to
cases on the shoe and leather schedule.
Gardner Discusses Duty on Hides.
The tariff on hides was discussed at
great length by Mr.. Gardner. He
gave history of the high tariff from
the time Of the civil war to the enact
ment of the Dingley bill He said hides
were on the free list as the bill passed
the House, but that duty OF 10 per cent
was fixed in conference.
whether this duty was imposed at the
instigation of the great Chicago packers
do not know" continued Mr.. Gardner.
whether or not a hide in the hands of a
packer is entitled to the same protection
as hide in the hands of farmer / do
not pretend to say. Whether, or late
years, the packers have financed the cam
paign which has created an artinciai gen
timent among the farmers in favor OF this
duty Is beside the question. The fact re-
mains that this sentiment undoubtedly ex-
lists, and 1t must be reckoned with.
Mr. Gardner said that he. had lost pa
thence with those who claim that they
cannot vote for free hides because the
leather duty and the boot and shoe duty
have not been sufficiently touched. Ruin
was spelled by free calfskin leather and
free patent leather. he argued. and by
free boots and shoes, so far as SUBJ
stantial minority Of manufacturers was
concerned He said that duty on hides
does not encourage the breeding or SIN
gle additional animal and does not furnish
a market for a single American hide He
nrophesfed that the price of hides would
gradually rise whether the duty was re-
moved or not.
the packer or the farmer gets the benefit
of the tax, Mr. Gardner said. Perhaps
the farmer may get some part or the
profit on the hide duty. but / viii wager
that he will agree with me That the
packer gets the lions share.
Beneficiary Of Free Hides.
Mr.. Gardner said the ultimate con-
sumner would receive the benefit of free
hides through the cheaper cost of pro-
duction to the manufacturer. So long
as the shoe trade is not controlled by
trust, he said. competition would keep
the profits down. He argued the neces-
sfty for protection to the boot and shoe
| industry, saying that the American maker
of fine shoes still challenges the world;
but the maker of cheaper grades must
be protected or go to the wall. He as
sorted that the demand for free hides
was based less on desire for profit than
on a sense of injustice
I'VE believe that the cattle industry is
thriving" he said. I'VE believe that the
COW is amply protected IN otner ways.
duty go mostly into the pockets of the
man who needs them least.
Champ Clark (Mo.) wanted to know if
Mr.. Gardner would support bill which
would compel the shoe manufacturers to
stamp on the shoes they make a state
ment showing the ingredients that enter
into this manufacture.
"Oh! I'll vote for it," Mr.. Gardner re-
piled, but they'll take my head off
down in my district for doing it. But
the gentleman Is right.
Pinchot Target of Sarcasm.
In making an argument for free lumber
yesterday Mr.. Ansberry (Ohio) was sar-
castle in referring to the opposition of
Clifford Pinchot. forester OF the United
States.
Turning to other features of the Payne
tariff bill Mr.. Ansberry said it had been
framed to protect special interests and
that representatives of these interests
have infested congressional halls and
committee rooms.
However If the membership of this
House is permitted to pass upon the
various schedules of this bill untrammeled
by caucus action. said he, 1T is my
opinion gathered from the debates that
have heard that the demands Of at least