The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-06-23
WASHINGTON NEWS
THE MissouLlAWs SPECIAL SERVICE

Washington, June 22.-Reports from
the Truckee-Carson project. Nevada,
indicate that the agriculture cond-
any year since the project was oper-
ated. The acreage of new land is
large and the conditions of crops on
the new land is favorable. Two or
three storms occurred during May. but
the damage was comparatively light,
us the farmers understand better the
handling of sandy lands and their
farms are in condition to withstand
higher wind velocties.
The bitches arc in good condition,
aud it is believed that maintenance
expenses in the future will be COM
paratively light Ninety per cent of
all the breaks that have occurred have
been caused by burrowing animals.
but the number of breaks this year is
very lnuh less than in any year pre-
Tious to this.
The amount of water in the canals
has been sufficient to supply all de-
mands. The flow of water in the Car
son river is about 1880 second feet,
and the Truckee river is carrying
about 1900 cubic feet per second. APP
proximately 10000 acres are now under
cultivation.
Senator Carter resisted the amend
ment of Senator owen of Oklahoma to
vest in the president the power to
raise and lower duties on wool. why
could not the amendment apply to
every schedule in the bill?' asked
Senator Carter. why engage in these
n;ultfarous paragraphs and subdivi-
sioHs if we would prescribe Il maxi
mum ad valorem duty for all articles
at the custom houses, leaving the dis
cSeti"a with the president tc reduce
the duties when such reductions in
his opinion would not impair the
revenue, but would reach the best
revenue producing point upon each
article? A sliding scale in other
words We could not tell from day to
day what the duty would be next week
on any article unless we We're advised
of what the presidents opinion might
be at that future date" Although
MI owen said the amendment did not
veA a legislative power in the presi-
dent, Mr.. Carter insisted it did ana
asked: IF legislative power can be
vested in the president. as this
amendment proposes, why not con-
siderable amount of legislative power
Or all legislative powero" Mr.. Carter
doubted very much whether. without
consulting congress or framing
treaty, 1t would be competent for the
president even under the minimum
and maximum provisions, to change a
rate Of duty where the constitution
vests the supreme power in congress
in the matter Of taxation Senator
Garter then engaged in a set-to with
Mr.. owen over wages and cost Of pro-
duction. Owen asked Carter how he
Justified a 1865 per cent ad valorem
when the cost Of labor in the material
is but Is per cent. Referring to La
1Follettc's statement that the cost to
the manufactures of agricultural i'm
Elements had increased over 100 per
cent since the Dingey law. Mr. Carter
said the cost of wool had increased in
IL years 260 per cent. He said the
increase in the cost of the raw mate
rial was the difference between the
conditions in hard times and in pros
perity. II do not know whether the
senator from Montana intends to be
humorous, but I should like him to an
sWer my inquiry said Mr.. Owen.
ITO what does the senator specifically
refer?" asked Carter. HE has in mind
SOME particular phase of industrial life
where by-product or some article
is produced at Is cents. for instance,
and that. the duty. according to his
calculation, amounts to SO per cent"
ITO $50 per cent corrected Owen.
Mr.. Carter said the duty on wool, as
against 1897, was 200 per cent and was
fair and the country had prospered
under it, He said the highest mar
kets this country had ever been in
flicted with. SO far as the consumer
is concerned have been those when
controlled by the foreign manufac-
turer and jobber.
Mr.. Owen called Senator Carter's at
tention to the fact that the cost of
labor in WOODEN blankets is from Is to
% per cent, and he asked how he JUS
titled in putting upon them, over and
above 1.-THE cost of American labor, an
additional tariff of from so to $40 per
cent. THE senator is calculating the
hard time wages of 1897 and 1898 as
the basis of the American wages. and
comparing them with wages abroad
today replied Senator Carter. Mr..
owen said the increase of the price of
wool since 1898 up to 1907 has not been
greater than the reported increase of
labor TT was pretty nearly nothing
in this country on the date the sena-
tors figures were made replied Car