The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-05-15
Bill Railroaded Through the
House BY Means of a Spe-
cial Rule.
CARRIED TO THE SENATE
AND SENT TO COMMITTEE
Rewritten BY Committee and
Doled Out to Senate on In
stallment Plan.
<Special to the Labor World.)

WASHINGTON, May 13.-The pres
ent tariff bill while in the house, in
stead Of being considered under the
regular rules, so that amendments
could be offered to any part and each
paragraph voted on separately, the
house leaders, by a combination Of
republican and democratic votes, forced
the adoption of special rule which
permitted three days for the consider
alton Of the whole measure, and al
lowed separate votes ON only tea, cof-
fee, hides, barley, petroleum. and lun,-
ber. All the several thousand other
duties had to be voted on as whole
taken at asgulp or left alone, as one
eats hash. -.,,
That was the way the bill got to the
senate.
In the Senate.
In the senate the finance committee
spent about three weeks rewriting the
house bill. Then the measure was re-
ported to the senate on the installment
plan, a part at a time. A large num-
ber Of manufacturers and other were
invited to appear before the senate
committee at it's sessions, to testify
#or give advice ab0u various schedules.
What took place at these hearings is
known only to nine men-the repub-
slican members of the committee. These
i Bearings were held behind locked doors.
FUusually, when a committee holds
hearings on any bill, the doors are
open, the public is admitted, and
stenographic report of the proceed
v,~sr 20 thn iv9F( fS0Yo oF
the senate and the country. At the
tariff hearings before the senate COM
mittee this year no one was admitted
but invited witnesses and the repub-
lican members Of the committee. Other
senators, and even the democratic
members of the committee, were ex-
cluded. No reports of the meetings
have been printed. It was in these
secret sessions that the Aldrich bill,
which proposes a general increase in
the tariff, mas made up.
The senators who made up this bill
are: Aldrich of Rhode Island, Bur-
rows Of Michigan, Penrose of Pennsyl-
vania, Hale of Maine, Cullom of Hin
ois, Lodge Of Massachusetts,, McCum-
Der of North Dakota, Smoot of Utah
ana Flint OF tallIOrn1a.
Reply to La Toilette.
Senator La Fololette asked what por-
tion of the duty proposed measured
the difference in the cost Of produc-
tion, and what portion measured
reasonable profit to the manufactures.
Aldrich's answer is indicative Of the
attitude Of the senate leaders towards
the whole subject of tariff. The fol-
lowing is from the Congressional Rec
ord:
Mr.. Aldrich-"I have before me
statement which enables me to answer
the question of the senator from Wis.
consin. About 80 or 40 manufacturers
of gas retorts in the United States
join nthe statement. It says:
''The schedule enrbraving these pro-
ducts compiled by the treasury de-
partment shows an average cost Of
importations of about $12 a ton. Am
erican products Of the same class cost
about $18 ton at seaboard.''
Mr.. La Follette-"What portion Of
that duty measures to the producers
in this country a reasonable profit ?'
Mr.. Aldrich-"There was nothing
said in the statement about profit on
goods produced in this country. They
say the cost of production abroad is
So ton, as against $12 in the United
States"
Mr.. La Follette-"Did the senator
take the statement of these interested
parties as to the difference in the cost
Of production without making further
Investigation to ascertain whether it
was a true statement or not?"
Mr. Aldrich-'I have no inclination
myself to reject the statements Of re
putable American manufacturers, un-
less there is some evidence to the con-
trary Of their statements.
And that was all the senate got as
to the comparative cost of production
and profits in the manufacture of gas
retouts, Or the reason for making tn
duty on these articles three times as
high as the present law.