The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-02-03
Washington Letter.
Tariff Revlsloa-COaG, Iron, Steel
and Lumber Duties VIII Prob
ably BE Reduced-Benzoate
Of Soda HARMLESS.

WASHINGTON, FEB. 2d.-The Repub- |
Ican members of the Ways and Means
Committee have made sufficient pro-
gress with the tariff bill to justify the
prediction that they will have ii ready
for introduction in the House few days
after the opening of the extra session of
Congress, about March 18th. The delib-
erations of those in charge of the meas
ure are carefully guarded. The policy
of secrecy was adopted foe two reasons,
to obviate further hearings from persons
who will be dissatisfied with the revised
schedules of the Dingley Bill, and to pre-
vent the use of information regarding
the agreements reached by the commit
tee for stock market purposes. Leaders
of the House believe the bill will pass
that body practically in the form in
which it is reported by the Ways and
Means Committee. If this is done the
real battle over the proposed revision of
the tariff will develop when the bill
reaches the Senate. Before it is reported
to that body it must be considered by
the Finance Committee, and that Com
mittee is expected to make many changes
in its provisions. The understanding is
that Senator Penrose will be a member
of the subcommittee of the Finance
Committee that will pass upon the sched-
ules with which Pennsylvania is directly
concerned, those relating to iron and
steel products, lumber and coal. The
Ways and Means Committee, practically,
has agreed upon heavy reductions in the
duties on iron and steel products. and it
is believed that it will also reduce the
tariff ON lumber. The iron and steel
manufacturers are not opposing what
they consider fair reductions in the rates
on those products, but they will en-
deayor to prevent the sweeping reduc-
tions proposed by some of the members
of the House Committee.
The Committee has not agreed upon
the lumber schedule. Under the Dingley
bill the tariff on lumber is two dollars a
thousand feet. The committee is con-
sidering a proposition to remove this
duty entirely. With free lumber, the
) lumber interests contend, Canadian
dealers would supplant the lumber deal
' ers of this country in the market for tht
4 cheaper grades. They admit that tht
s market for high grade lumber would no
be materially affected. The COMMITTEES
also has under consideration PROPOSE
ton to adopt a reciprocal agreemen
with Canada relating to coal. The pres
ent duty on soft coal is about sixty-seveI
= cents ton. The bulk of Canadian Goa
S is mined in Nova Scotia and British Co
: lumbia, and the coal operators of Penn
e sylvania seem disposed to accept re
v ciprocal agreement. The Pennsylvan.,
industrial interests realize that the Sen
a ate will be the battle ground. They hav,
:. submitted their contentious regarding
! the tariff to Senator Penrose, and ar
> depending upon him to protect then
t against dangerous tariff revision. NJ
! other member of the Senate will exert :
/ more far-reaching influence in the con
: struction of the bill than Mr.. Penrose.
D The report of the Remsen board re
0 garding the use of benzoate of soda as
Il food preservative will lead to new regu
/. lations for the enforcement of many O
: the sections of the pure food law. Th
q board, which consisted of four of th
4 most eminent scientists in this country
l decided that benzoate of soda is as harm
!. less as breakfast food, and that if an
+ body wants to eat it he may GO as far a
= he likes. The board completely ex
n plodes the theory of Chief Wiley. of th
b Bureau of Chemistry, who has charge q
e the enforcement of the pure food law
r that benzoate of soda was poisonou
q when used as preservative. The boar
d in effect states that Mr.. Wiley's ''poiso
v squad" experiment of two years age
while sensational, was worthless. A
a the board was appointed by the Pres
n dent to settle the controversy over beI
II zoate of soda, its findings are final. TIL
y. controversy had been before the Ayr
cultural Department ever since the enaci
+. ment of the pure food law. The genera
q behet here is that Mr.. Roosevelt will no.
g appoint new man head of the Burea
o of Chemistry, as the report of the Rem
l. sen board discredits Wiley as a chemis
J. His many theories with reference to foo
e products have attracted widespread a
d tention. Nearly all of these theorie
1t have been combatted by other chemists
"HUMAN LIFE"