Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-03-18

for the conservation of the forests Of
the country resulted in a strong APP
peal from the lumber interests of the
south and the northwest Represent
tattve Champ Clark, of Missouri, the
minority leader of the house, submit
ted the lumber magnates to severe
cross examinations and these hear
ings We're among the most interesting
T. B. Walker and Edward Hines, two
Of the largest lumber dealers in the
northwest argued for the retention of
the present duty on lumber, claiming
that the United States cannot COM
pete with Canada in facilities for
cheap transportation or cheap labor.
A number Of southern lumbern1en al
so asked for protection, contending
that the cost of production has in
creased.
A severe arraignment of the social
ed paper trust by John Norris. repre-
senting the American Newspaper Pub-
| fishers Association, and defense of
the International Paper company. by
| Chester w. Lyman, assistant to the
president of the company offered one
| of the sensations of the hearings The
ways and means committee, while
taking the keenest interest in the tes-
timony, was predisposed to depend
| upon the report of the special com
| rnittee which conducted hearings on
wood pulp and print paper last year
| for the information upon which to
| base its conclusions regarding the
| paper and pulp schedule.
The proposition to have the values
of articles upon which an ad valoren
duty is imposed determined by the
wholesale prices in this country as
| we'll as the cost at the place of pro
duction was first discussed at the
hearing given the pottery interests
This method of collecting the dlses
would permit the appraisers to call
formation. which, under the present
method of collecting ad valorem duties
is not possible. The plan was ad-
vanced as means for preventing
under valuations, of which there has
been complaint wherever ad valoren7
duties have been imposed Several
cases of under valuation were present
ed to the committee by the pottery
manufacturers, who favored an in
crease in the duties on the better
grades of china. The importers ad-
vanced arguments for a reduction OF
25 per cent in the duties on pottery.
The Leather Schedule.
AS at all former tariff hearings
there was fight between the shoe anG
leather manufacturers, of New Eng
| land and the cattle raisers of the west
| The leather manufacturers were loatl
| to admit that their industry coulC
stand a reduction In the duties or
shoes and other leather articles, bu
urged that the raw material should
be placed n the free list. An anus.
ing incident occurred when one of the
shoe men admitted that with free
hides the shoe manufacturers woulc
be able to compete with foreign man.
ufacturers without tariff protection
This caused the leather manufacturer
to assemble their forces and presen
arguments to show that the duty OF
the manufactured article should no
be- reduced.
Elisha w. Cobb, manufacturer o
heavy leather, of Boston, Massachu.
sets, told the committee that the tar.
iff on hides accrued only to the ben
eft of the packers and not to The
farmer and the cattle raiser. He de
clared that the large packers of Chi
cago are engaged in the tanning bust
ness and look forward to when the!
| viii have complete monopoly in thu
hide business and in the sole and up
per leather business.
! The wool schedule was the occasion