The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-03-16
SEREM z. PAYNE.

to the two houses at the beginning
of the sess on. calls upon them to de-
l1berate over the advisability of pre-
pairing and passing a new tariff law
Tor the United States. In many pre-
vious Internationally in his in
augura1 address-P1esident Taft has
made known his conviction that the
Republican members controlling the
two houses should carry out the pro-
vision of the Chicago platform pledg-
the party to tariff law affording
protection to the industries of the
nation equal to the difference be-
tween the cost of production abroad
and the cost of production here" For
months the ways and means commit.
tee of the old house, most of whose
members were reelected, were busy
win the preparation of bill declared
to embody that idea
Speaker Cannon Reelected.
Probably first in interest and impor-
lance among the events in the two
houses was the reelection of Speak
er Cannon. The old Republican war
horse has been too strong for the
house insurgents" and his face wore
a little smile of triumph as he ascend
ed the rostrum after the announce.
ment by the clerk of the vote re-elect
Ing him ard thanked the members
for the honor. In accordance with an.
cient custom. the oath of office was
administered to the speaker by the
father of the house, That honor
now belongs to General H. H. Bling
ham, who began his thirtieth year OF
continuous service in the house.
Speaker Cannon had to share the
honor Of the most conspicuous place
in the attention Of the crowded; caller
les with Representative Serene E.
Payne, chairman of the committee on
ways and means Mr.. Payne is the
father" OF the new tariff bill. and
its unofficial title is the Payne bill"
After the organization of the house
and the adoption of the rules, the
house program included the offerinq
by Mr.. Payne of the new bill, the
fruit of long hours of work by him
and his confreres on the committee
The bill goes for consideration to the
new committee on ways and means.
from whose hands it will soon emerge
with the committees 20. K" attached.
The long hearings. during which such
prominent men as Andrew Carnegie,
Ebert H. Gary. Charles NJ Schwab
and others appeared before the com.
mittee, convinced that body that the
country would welcome a speedy re.
port OH the bill, and the measure will
therefore. not be allowed to linger in
the committee room
The Committee Hearings.
The committee hearings On the pro
posed new bill. which is now ready for
the consideration of congress, filled six
weeks and were. according to Bourke
Cochran, one of the Democratic mem.
bers of the committee, the most ex
tensive and the fa;rest that were ever
held for the purpose of revising tie
tariff" More than 300 men interest
ed in the revision of the tariff appear
ed before the commit tee They en-
braced importers ard exporters, man.
ufacturers. farmers and others In
Guided IN their interests were an ex-
ceedingly wide variety OF businesses.
Government experts sand other stats
ticians We're also called upon to fur
nish information to the committee.
Probably the NEST interesting witness
was Mr.. Carnegie. who had declared
In magazine article his belief that
the iron and steel industry OF America
no lon ger needed protection. Judge
=1sarY c;sairnn Of the board Of al.
AT the United State. Steel cor
1850 - - asss