The Washington herald., 1909-05-14

!
safe side. nave been working on the as
sumption that all the Democrats will "a
vor the imposition Of tax on incomes.
II is believed that they feel practically
certain that several OF the Democrats
viii vote against the proposal with the
majority Of the Republicans.
/ In the course OF the discussion yester-
day over the matter Of fixing a time
for voting on the tariff blli. senator Bev-
eridgc. Of Indiana. who has done consid-
cradle insursing. beiittled the idea that
Il was necessary 20 dispose of the tariff
bill without any great delav. and quoted
an editorial in support Of his contention,
that the best interests OF the country
would be served b. a careful scrutiny of
Ievery item
Urges 25-Cent Duty.
The first speech on the iron schedule
was by Senator Burrows. OF Michigan,
who told Of the growth Of the iron min
ing industry in his own State and lis TN
portance 10 the industrial classes. He
said IN part:
"Uuser the existing Law. the rate Of
duty on iron ore IS 20 cents a ton The
/ House bill removes that duty and puts
the product Of the American mines on
the free list The Senate committee. in
is desire 70 conform 20 the general puT-
! pose of the bill 20 reduce duties some
what. where Il can be done without injury
Ito American products and American labor,
/ proposed the amendment which Is re-
/ ported. towit. a duty OF = cents a ton
on iron ore 4 duty on iron ore has
always been an available source Of rev
enus. From the foundation OF the gov
eminent. under all parties. revenue or
protective. a duty has been imposed upon
/ iron ore. Even the Wilson law, which
was intended TO be a long step toward a
revenue tariff, imposed duty of 20 cents
a ton. the present law on iron ore Il
! appears from this that a duty has been
! levied upon iron ore from the foundation
{ OF the government
! IF the House provision should be
/ adopted. the immediate result would be
/ loss OF Sss2 go IN revenue. and under
\ the importations Of 1880 there would be
/ loss OF $50. 81 in revenue. With a de-
I fcieucy in the Treasury Of the United
States today of over So 90 90. Il Is diff
cult 20 understand what could have
prompted The House 10 surrender
this source OF revenue. and Il is difficult
I n understand why any one IN the Sen
ate should bs willing 20 have this revenue
! abandoned. The fact that there IS such
IA deficit. the fact that the duty on iron
+ ore would yield so much revenue, Il seems
/ 20 me. Is sufficient reason why the duty
I should be continued. not AZ the present
rate OF - cents. but AZ the moderate tax
( OF . cents a ton"
Plead for Eastern Iron Hen.
Z Senator'S Rayner and smith. Of Mary
I land. made plea for the iron manUfsc-
turers east Of the AlIeyhenies. especially
those in Maryland. which had 10 rely on
/ foreign ores. and could not compete with
tie steel trust. which controlled the ore
supply in ire United states
Senator Smith. OF Michigan said the
/ steel trust did not own ore lands IN Mich
lgan "It obtains It's ore supply through
( leases and in that way mines about =
/ Per cent Of the ores produced in our
State said Mr.. Smith.
Senator Nelson. Republican OF Mime
sofa al advocate OF free iron ore. re-
minded M Smith that the leases made
by the steel trust IN Minnesota and
Michigan were With its subsidiary. the
Oliver Mining Company, that IA Mime
sofa the trust controlled the railroads
and had driven out the independent oper-
ators by prohibitive transportation rates
He appealed for free iron ore, and said
his own State produced mere thsn half
the ores mined IN the United States in
1905.
Senator Oliver, q Pennsylvania. cor
rected = statement OF Senator Cumuins
who had declared that the average wage
I IN Minnesota and Michigan iron mines
was SIS day. Mr.. Oliver declared that
he had authority for saying the minimum
OF waEes paid was "A
Senator Gallinger asked that the Ding
ley rate &c restored.
Senator Culberson. Of Texas. quoting
the report of the conservation commits
sion. declared that the supply OF high
grade ores in the United States would De
exhausted in half a century. and urged
that ores be put upon the free list as a
measure FOR conserving the natural re-
sources.
Senator Money and Senator Daniel.
Democrats. avowed themselves in favor
OF the duty on iron ore as a revenue
measure" Thereupon Senator Beveridge
asked Mt. Money why he did not vote 20
retain the Dingley rates. as Il would
yield more revenue than the duty pro-
posed in the Senate bill
We are revising the Dingley law" re-
Piled Mr.. Money.
Force of Habit. Says Money
The Senator from Mississippi condemned
the Senate bin in general. however He
declared that the manufacturers did not
need the duty. but had got into the habit
OF asking for and receiving one. and they
felt il necessary
Mr. Money said they reminded him OF
a minister IN poor. pecuniary circum- 1
stance with large family, who always (
borrowed s. from the deacon before he +
commenced his sermon and returned II I
as soon as he had finished the sermon. (
Asked by the deacon for an explanation 4
Of the strange proceeding, the dominic 4
replied that he had seen better days.
and could not feel equal to the task Of
preaching g sermon without having some
money in his pocket, even II he knew IL
belonged to some one else
Mr. Money declared the manufacturers
had arrived at the state Of mind where
they felt they could not do business at
all without getting a tribute
4 dispute arose in the course Of debate
as % the supply OF available iron ore
Senator McCumber had read from the
prophecy Of James J. Hill at the confer
enee Of governors at the White House last
year on the national resources that the
supply Of high grade iron ore would be
exhausted II MY FtdfS- " hefeupOn.
Mr. Smith. of Michigan, figured out that
there WIS enough iron ore iE Michigan.
Minnesota. and Wisconsin TO last for $3.50
years NlT McCumbsr reminded Nr
Smith that his colleague from Michigan.
Senator Burrows. had said the supply
would last only 2Oo0 years In the midst
OF il all. Senator Beveridge suggested that
the prophets and statisticianS ought 70
get togethef. Thereupon Senator Aldrich