The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-05-19
GORE PLANS PROBE
INTO HIGH PRICES
Senator Wants to Know WhO
Is Responsible
PRICE COMBINE ALLEGED
oklahoman Makes Lengthy Speech In
Which He Attacks Price Makers
and the Protective Tariff
Policy.
COMBINE ALLEGED

washington. May Ex-senator Cores
resolution directing the committee on
finance to conduct an investigation into
wholesale and retail prices of commodi-
ties was discussed before the Senate to-
day at some length. Seeking to have the
resolution adopted, Mr.. Gore said he
wished to have statements concerning the
extortionate prices of retail dealers FULLY
probed, so that the country might know
just where the responsibility for high
prices rested.
Senator Aldrich said 1t was evident that
such an investigation as that contem-
plated by the resolution could not be
conducted before the pending tariff bill
was disposed of, but he had no objec-
ton to such an Investigation being I'M
dertaken. Senator Carter pointed out
that in doing this work the finance COM
mittee would necessarily investigate the
same ground which the proposed tariff
commission would cover.
That the cotton manufacturers sell
their products with an agreement as
to the price at which they are to be
sold at retail was the substance of a
Sh1A . AhcdC ny OW64l. DtlIldHUlnB proof
of this assertion. Mr.. Gallinger said that
what the country is demanding Is prompt
action on the tariff bill. He added that
1t had been asserted that the business
interests of this country were losing &c.
100000 a day by the holding up of the
tariff bill.
Referring to the pledge of the re-
publican party to make the tariff rates
equal to the difference in the cost of
production here and abroad, Mr.. owen
said it was the duty of the majority to
inform the Senate as to what the DIFF
ference was.
Mr.. Aldrich replied that the commit
tee had done much to furnish such facts,
but the Oklahoma senator commended
there was no available information of
the kind wanted.
Mr.. Carter made an impassioned APP
peal for a business-lke proceeding.
Every morning,' he said, some senator
arises in his place here to defend the
country merchant from a charge that
has never been made" No charge of
extortion, he said, had ever been lodged
against the retailer.
suggesting a select committee to OBJ
tain information desired by the senator
from Oklahoma, Mr.. Bailey said he did
not wish to make any charge against the
republican members of the committee on
finance as the committee adopted a rule
that the democratic members might en-
ploy all the experts they wanted
They" said Mr.. Bailey, "are bad
enough at their best. and 1 am not will
ing to charge them with being worse
than they are"
At times provoking much merriment
by his ready retort and denouncing the
protective tariff policy, Mr.. Gore spoke
until u o'clock, when, under the rules
of the Senate, the unfinished business,
which was the tariff bill, was to be
brought up. Before that was DONE in
response to an appeal from MIR. Bailey,
the Senate agreed to vote on Mr.. Cores
resolution, amended as suggested by Mr..
Bailey, so as to require the appoint
ment of select committee of four re-
publicans and three democratic senators
to conduct the investigation asked for
and by a vote Of so to 20 it was re-
ferred to the committee on finance, SEN
ators Bristow, Crawford and uaFollette
voting no with the democrats.