The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1909-07-23
The QUESTION
OF FREE HIDES.
II Is Proving a Difficult One
For Tariff Makers.
HOW THE SECTIONS LINE UP

Mr.. Aldrich's Prominence In the De-
Date In the Senate-Senator Rayner's
Contribution to the Merriment OF
The Diseussions-Farmer Wilson Not
Yet Ready to Quit.
Washington, July 17-[Special. I'm
the long tariff discussion in the SEN
ate this session the name of Senator
Aldrich occurs oftener in the reports
OF the proceedings than that Of any
other senator. That is due to the fact
that he is chairman of the finance
committee, from which the bill was
reported. All the sharp criticisms were
aimed at Mr.. Aldrich. When the dis
cussion commenced 1t was clearly the
intention of the Republican members
or the finance committee to do very
little talking. That was the practice
followed while the Dingley bill was
being framed in 1897, but the plan did
not work this year, for the reason that
the insurgent Republicans made such
vigorous attacks upon the leading
schedules that Mr.. Aldrich and his
party associates on the committee were
compelled to answer them. At times
Mr.. Aldrich was ON his feet from
twenty to fifty times a day, and, al
though none of his replies or state
ments was very long, the records will
inform the coming generations that he
was a mighty busy man while this
memorable tariff struggle was going
on.
A Lively Contest.
The question of free hides is one of
the liveliest contentious before the
conferees engaged in adjusting the diff.
ferences between the senate and house.
AS will be recalled, the house placed
hides on the free list after a yea and
nay vote had been ordered on the item,
and the senate restored the rate of
duty that was fixed by the Dingley
law-15 per cent. The boot and shoe
manufacturers and the tanning inter-
ests have claimed right along that
President Taft was in favor of their
getting this concession at the hands of
congress, and they have been relying
upon his influence to bring the confer
ence to terms. Some of the senators
from the far west declare that If the
conferees bring in report with a pro-
vision for free hides it will be their
duty to make trouble for the bill be-
fore it reaches the White House. This
certainly is one of the hottest matters
with which the conferees have had to
deal. The pressure for free hides has
been heavy from the manufacturing
centers.
Fun In the Senate.
One of the most laughable and enter.
tanning discussions that has occurred
in the consideration of the tariff bill
I'm the senate was when the provision
for the customs court was taken up.
Senator Rayner of Maryland riddled
the proposition, charging that a man
would be deprived of his constitutional
right of trial by jury. Senator Aldrich
of course endeavored to defend the
provision, whereupon Rayner con.
vulsed his auditors both in the cham
Der and in the galleries by charging
that Aldrich was no lawyer and never
would be one, and he thought his opin.
ion on such a subject unworthy of con.
sideration. Aldrich admitted that he
was no lawyer and said he was glad
of It, He called Senator Flint to his
rescue, who at once became satirical
in the extreme. and Rayner insisted
satire was not the Californian's forte, |
but that getting the duty on lemons
increased half a cent pound was,
and that Flint had better stick to |
lemons and leave satire and law alone. |
Preparing For Future Bill.
The annual reports of the engineers
are beginning to arrive at the war de. |
partment. They tell OF the work that
was done on the rivers and harbors In |
the last fiscal year, mention the amount
of money on hand for each project
and state with exactness just how
much the engineer in charge thinks
could profitably be expended in the
next fiscal year. The chief Of the Blu. |
reau of engineers has his assistants
and the clerks under them put all this |
into convenient shape, and |
he formulates a general report to the
secretary of war, who in turn does /
his utmost TO impress upon congress /
the great necessity of making larger J
appropriations. Next December the /,
national rivers and harbors congress
will meet again in Washington and
pass more resolutions. and it is expect. |
ed that i'm the winter session a-generaI /
bill will be forthcoming, for that will
be the year when one is due.
Not Likely TO Resign.
Farmer Wilson's friends are begin. /
ming to think that those stories about I
his leaving the cabinet and giving |
President Taft an early opportunity to .
name a new secretary Of agriculture
have little or no basis. Mr.. Wilson
has been directly sounded on the sub /
ject Of late by several friends, and
they do not seem to think. that he is
laundering to sever his connection with
the government and turn his attention .
to agriculture on his own farm out 1
I'm Iowa. on the contrary, the talk is
that the canny Scotchman shows signs .
OF holding on. and II there is a vacancy /
in the head Of his department it will
be created at the request Of President
Taft or brought about by the viii of
Providence.