Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-03-31
Mr.. Vreeland Explains Position Of
Independent Refners.
K1TCHIN FOR FREE LUMBER
North Carolina Member Speaks for
Three Hours and Half.
ADVICE Is GIVEN DEMOCRATS
Members of Minority Who Are Ask
ina Protection for Their Dis
tricts Told TO JOin Ranks
with Republicans.

WASdlNIION, MArcn SV.-N men lno
session of the house got well under way
the tariff debate waxnd warm The indl-
cations were when the body met at 10
o'clock that the proceedings would be dry
and uninteresting. but revival of the dis
cussion Of lumber and oil schedulas was
like setting a match to both products, for
the subject proved of absorbing interest
to the members, who entered generally into
the debate. To Mr.. Vreeland Of New York
was accorded the privilege Of explaining
the position Of the independent refiners,
who want the countervailing duty on crude
petroleum retained, while Mr.. Kitchin of
North Carolina, in an exhaustive treatment
of the question, pleaded for the placing Of
lumber on the free HIST. He got into ffe-
quent colloquies during his three and
half hours talk with both republicans and
democrats. Others who spoke were Messrs.
Cox of Ohio, Sterling of Illinois, Hughes
OF Georgia, Bates of Pennsylvania, Parker
of New Jersey and Richardson of Alabama.
At O'Clock the usual recess for two
hours was taken.
Cox Opens Debate.
Today's debate was opened by Mr.. COX
of Ohio, who pleaded for a reduction of the
duties on sewing machines, bicycles and
computing machines. He argued that by
reason of the favored nation clause. Ger
many was enabled to manufacture and ship
sewing machines and bicycles into Russia,
France and other continental Countries at
about half the tariff imposed on the same
articles of American manufacture. Be
cause of this fact, the American manu-
facturer was Handicapped in extending his
foreign trade. Unless the tariff was re-
duced, he said, the manufacturers Of the
products mentioned would be forced to
build factories abroad, which would result
in throwing out of employment in this
country many skilled workmen. The maxi
mum and minimum feature of the bill, he
declared to be not worth the paper 1t was
written on.
RapEeeentative Mccall OF Massachu usetts
believed the Philippine islands should have
their independence. and II they were inde-
pendent they should be neutral territory,
so as not to become the theater OF wars
among foreign powers. Accordingly he
has introduced a resolution requesting the
president to open negotiations with the
other nations of the globe. looking for an
agreement for the naturalization OF these
| islands and for the recognition OF their
independence whenever 1t Is granted by
the United States.
The preamble to the resolution sets forth
that the argument for not giving the
Islands their independence has been that
II the United States abandoned them some
other nation would take them. This
danger, it is set forth. can be removed
by an agreement among the nations Of
Europe and Asia whereby the Independence
A., Of the Philippines would he declared and
they would become neutral territory.
VreeIand Defends OIL Daty.
ReiteratinE that he was partly respon-
| sible for retaining the countervailing duty
| on crude and refined petroleum, Mr. Vree-
| land of New York said that while to many
people oil and Standard OIL seemed synony-
nous there were 10000 American citizens
bringing to the surface every day great
quantities OF crude petroleum who had no
more to do with the Standard OH company
than had the farmer who raised wheat to
do with the miller to whom he sold 1t.
Mr. Vreeland maintained that wherever
the Independent refineries of the United
States had entered the oil fields they had
increased the price which oil men received
| for their crude petroleum by from to %
( cents a barrel.
| Are the independents in greater need OF
protection from foreign competition or
from the Standard OIL companys lawless
methodist" inquired Mr.. James of Ken
| lucky,
Mr. Vreeland replied that until the Mex
| ican field developed the American pro-
ducer needed no protection from spot on
earth. Denying as ridiculous a statement
to the contrary made by Kuestermann of
Wisconsin, which the latter said was based
I a.
| corpor orations, Mr.. Vreeand declared that
the cohntervailing duty upon either crude
or refined petroleum has not cost the
American people one solitary mill during
the Nast ten years"
| Responding to suggestions by Messrs
CONTINUED on Third Page)