Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-20
SOUTH ON TARIFF BILL
PI;is for Protection for Many
Industries.
LUMBER MEN ANXIOUS
Barytes Petition Signed by Demo-
cratic Representatives.
SENATOR ELKINS TROUBLED
West Virginia Hard Hit by Proposed
Scheme of Revision-Philip-
SENATOR ELKINS TROUBLED
West Virginia Hard Hit by Proposed
Scheme of Revision-Philip-
pine Rice Worries Louisiana.

How's this? Do our eyes deceive US.
Let's put on our glasses and look closer.
Yes. Here it is! A petition from
eighty-six lumber firms in Alabama and
Florida protesting against reducing the
duty OIL lumber! Sure! Alabama and
Florida! With the names of the towns
and the companies all set out!
Strangely familiar Is the ring Of argu-
ments presented therein against reduc-
lion. There is talk Of the competing lum-
Der Of Mexico. cut by peon labor, and
Canadian lumber. cut by oriental labor,
all from stumpage. varying from one
quarter to one-half less in price than
American timber and subject to less tax
alton. 1t is claimed that labor enters into
the production of lumber to the extent of
20 per cent.
One paragraph in the petition there Is
that sounds odd from southern sources.
The recent election has emphatically
that an Overwhelming ma
jority of the people are in favor OF the
protection Of American industries" Con-
strued in the light Of the electoral vote
of Florida and Alabama. some statesmen
say they detect a yellow-pine streak in
this statement.
9cC1I1On In circulation.
The petition urges the senators and rep
from Alabama and Florida
to vote against any reduction on lumber
and its products. 1t claims that any
harm wrought the lumber industry would
also affect transportation. banking and
general industrial conditions of the south.
Another interesting phase Of the clash
of conflicting interests over the new
tariff bill is revealed in the efforts to
increase the duty on barytes. largely pro-
duced in Tennessee. Georgia. North Caro-
lima, southwestern Virginia and Missouri
Representative Elvins of Missouri. a re-
publican, is circulating a petition for sig
natures of members of the House pray
ing an increase Of the duty on barytes
from 76 cents a ton to $500 ton on
crude barytes. and from $5.x6 to 1890 or
refined baryte4
Tho significant feature Of this effort i.
the fact that he is getting democratic
signatures as we'll as names of repubI.
cans, as advocates OF the increase.
Revision upward" IL something new
for the democrats. The proposition
McCleary OF Minnesota. chief spokesman
heretofore to the upward revisi0nists
However, business is business. And
barytes Is barytes these days.
May Go Out Of Business.
Some southern democrats were much in
terested today in the announcement that
the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company
may shut down its plants, throwing TO-
600 to 15,0 600 men out of work.
This Is the corporation gobbled by the
United States Steel Corporation, with the
sanction Of President Roosevelt. and is
one OF the bulwarkS of industry in Ala
bama and Tennessee. Iron ore. which II
produces, has been placed on the free list
pig iron materially reduced and other
products hit by the reductions proposed In
the bill.
remarked a democrat. dolefully. having in
mind the attitude Of his party in the
House on tariff reduction.
Senator EIkins Of West Virginia is on
the war path. The new tariff bill hits
West Virginia hard Wood pulp, iron
lumber and steel all get reductions under
the bill. Coal may get hurt through pro-
posed Canadian reciprocity.
Senator Elkins' Is utte.ing loud cries ol
rage and protest In his despair he turns
West Virginia with the southern states
which. he says, stand good show of being
ground between the upper and neither
millstones OF the northern demands for
free raw material.
Senator Elkins says that wages In the
steel industry will have to be cut Il the
proprosed reductions in tariff go into
effect.
IT bury steel rails myself said Senator
Elkins, who is a railroad magnate, but
manufacture of which keeps American
industries thriving than to get them
abroad for $40 and shut down our mills. .
Senator Elkins talks tariff In much the
same strain used by Abraham Lincoln.
Rice Planters Worried.
A delegation of Louisiana rice growers
is in town. Headed by Senator Foster and
Representative Broussard. they visited
Col. Edwards of the insular bureau today
They are afraid that rice. under the Phil
ippine free-trade clause, will swamp
southern planters.
Col. Edwards suggested that they need
not raise enough rice for their own use.
but must buy about 100000 worth a
year to keep the wolf from the door.
The tin plate manufacturers think there
is a snake in the drawback feature of
the new bill. They fear that the Standard
Oil Company and the beef trust will buy
foreign tin plate for their packing cans
and take advantage Of the drawback on
canned beef and oil exported.
The lumbermen Of the >state Of Wash
ington who are resisting the proposed cut
on lumber are using a unique argument
with representatives Of the western farm
states. They say the workmen In the
lumber mills Of Washington receive. under
protection, V5,WO,OUO year In wages.
and that large portion of this Is spent
In the granger states for corn. hogs dairy
products, etc.
According to a table prepared by the
Seattle chamber Of Commerce, Washing
ton buys annually $47.O00OOO worth Of
farm products Of Nebraska, North and
South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas. Minnesota.
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. The
argument is that the decrease OF the
capacity of Washington. II
reduced by tariff reduction. will cut of
profitable business with the granger
states.
Representative Sherley of Kentucky
discovered a paragraph Of the new tarin
bill today which he thinks may hurt the
tobacco manufacturers and
perhaps result to the benefit of the tobac-
co trust. Section 33 Of the new bill pro-
vides that:
None of the packages of smoking to-
bacco and fine cut chewing tobacco and
prescribed by law shall be per-
mitted to have packed In or attached to
or connected with them any article or
thing whatsoever other than the manu-
facturer's wrappers and labels. internal
revenue stamp and the tobacco or cigar
cites. respectively, put up therein on
which tax 10 required to be paid under in
ternal revenue laws; nor shall there Be
aff1xed to or branded. stamped, marked,
written or printed upon said packages or
their contents any promise. or offer of. 81
any order or certificate for any gift, prize,
premium Foayment or reward