Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-23
PAYNE Starts the Tariff De-
bate In the House.
Declares Practically the Whole
Country Is for Protection.
Democratic Objections to BiII--The
New Senate Committees.

Washington. March 22--The first gun
in the tariff debate was fired in the
House of Representatives today by Mr.
Payne, \. y. the majority leader, and
chairman of the committee on ways
and means. Before he began his re-
marks an agreement was reached under
which while the bill is under consider
alton tho daily sessions shall start at
II o clock instead of noon.
In opening Mr. Payne declared that
the country was Overwhelmingly in ia
Nor of a protective tariff. 1T is an
American policy" he said. land it
seemed to be acquiesced in by the
great majority of the American peo-
pie" lie did not believe, he added
that there was a man within the
sound OF his voice that would rise in
his seat and say that he was in favor
in the United States from turret to
foundation stone.
Mr.. Payne recited the conditions sur
rounding the enactment of the Mcf,in-
ley. Wilson, Dingley and present tariff
measures. In the first case. he said
there was superabundance of receipts
land we tried to get rid of some of it
by that bill"
Coming to the Dingley bill. Mr.
Payne declared that it had proved to
be a boon to the people of the country
in proof Of which statement he cited
the immense collections of revenue and
expenditures under it as given in his
recent report on the bill. These OK
penditures. he said. included $50, 900, 900
for the Panama canal for which no
bonds We're issued. so that" he said,
the entire surplus over the ordinary
expenditures of the government have
been about sl25. 900 during that peri
Cd" There had. however, been a de-
felt for the period in the postOffice re =
ccipts amounting to S99 144, 479, which
he attributed largely to the enormous
expenditures on account of the rura!
free delivery. Notwithstanding such
enormous drains. there was q surplus
OF So, 100000 Of ordinary receipts of all
kinds over the expenditures. Surely"
he said, mot bad showing for a reve-
NE bill which was also a protective
measure.
Mr. Faync called attention to the
great expenditures as the result OIL the
wa, with Spain despite which, he
said. a surplus was left in the treasury.
Discussing maximum and minimum
tariffs as against the reciprocity pro-
Visions OF the Mckinley and Dingley
laws. Mr.. Payne said the minimum
tariff was on the basis of a protective
rate. while the maximum tariff was
much higher, even a 100 per cent. in.
crease in some instances over the mini
mum.
No tariff. he declared, could be re-
vised without hating business. He de-
clared the revenues were not keeping
UP with the expenditures and the time
came to hunt for more revenues. The
bill, he said, had been prepared with
the greatest care, as the result of long
hours of work and with the fullest in
formation before the committee. He
attributed the loss Of revenue to the
business disturbances of 1907 and 1908.
Mr. Payne said there was hope that
during the first year of the bill there
, would be no deficit but if the revenue
should fall short, 1--WE have in the
treasury 100000 of available cash
assets to meet it,"
Referring to the maximum and min
imum features of the bill, Mr.. Payne
said that henceforth business would