Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-05-25
ARGUE HIGH TARIFF
VIRGINIA SENATOR TALKS FOR
PROTECTION OF INDUSTRIES
OF COUNTRY.
SMITH OPPOSES HIS LEADER
Declares That Consumer Is Not Taken
Into OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Are
Listened to Attentiveiy by Chair
man Aldrich of Finance Committee.

Washington, May 21.-"I want to
protect American interests. That is
my policy. l don't care what name
you call it, am for it, This was the
somewhat startling statement with
which John w. Daniel of Virginia be-
gan speech in the senate in support
of high duty on quebracho, which is
chestnut bark extract used in tan
ming and which is produced in his
state. The senate committee on f.
nance has reduced the house rate, and
he wanted the house figure retained.
The Virginia senator's attitude
aroused especial interest on the Re-
publican side of the chamber and
Senator Aldrich gave especial atten-
ton to his remarks, at times nodding
smiling assent to the proposition of
the Virginia senator.
Nine Factories in Virginia.
OF the % querbacho factories of the
country, nine are located in Virginia,
and Senator Daniel declared that pro
lection should be given the industry.
He said great trust with headquar-
ters in London and Berlin would drive
the American manufacturers out of
the market If they had their way in
obtaining very small duty on i'm
ports into this country or were to OBJ
tain free trade, which they desired.
He explained that by making solid
quebracho extract in place Of the
liquid product, on which the duty Of
one-half cent pound was levied,
the foreigners had practically cut the
duty in half, and he desired duty of
seyen-eighths of cent pound on the
solid extract to equalize the tariff.
South Against Protection.
A voice from the south offsetting
the protective declarations of Senator
Daniel came promptly from Senator
Smith of South Carolina, who is en-
tering upon his first term in the sen.
ate. He spoke at greater length than
ever before since becoming senator.
His theme was the evil of destroying
the forests and watersheds of the Car
olinas and Virginia by stripping the
bark from the chestnut tree for the
purpose of manufacturing quebracho
extract. Recent disastrous floods in
his state, he said, had resulted from
stripping the uplands and mountains
of their forests.
Talks of Inequalities.
Incidentally Senator Smith discussed
what he declared were the inequalities
of the protective system. The preser-
walton of the forests, he commended,
was more important than the encour-
agement OF an industry in products for
which substitutes could be obtained
cheaply from abroad. Destroy the for
ests, he argued, and the great cotton
crop of the south would be endan.
gered
Following the senator from South
Carolina, Senator Simmons of the old
north state retorted in support of the
principles favored by Mr.. Daniel. He
denied that the forests We're being de-
nuded by either the tan bark extract
Industry or by the making of wood
pulp.
When a tree is ripe and ready to
be cut what law of economy prohibits
its cutting?" asked Senator Simmons.
Wise cutting Of timber, he declared,
only assisted the growth of younger
timber.
LaFolIette Amendment Beaten.
Offering an amendment to further
reduce the duty on quebracho to one
quarter of cent pound, Senator La
Toilette declared that the tanning in
dustry was being driven to Canada
where >quebracho is admitted free of
duty. He declared that the oak and
hemlock have been killed off so that
now only the inferior chestnut is left,
which could be used successfully to
make an extract to mix with the i'm.
ported quebracho. BY vote of 20 to
SS the LaFOllette amendment was re-
jected.
Lay Isles Capitol Cornerstone.