The sun., 1909-06-02
FIGHT ON COTTON SCHEDULE
TAKES SIX HOURS IO AGREE
70 TWO PARAGRAPHS.
Sharp Controversy Between Senators
!Aldrich and Dolli, er-Lodse Defends
the Schedule nnd says the Htil Is al
Overwhelming Revision DOWN. ard.


eidered the cotton manufacturers sched-
ule for six hours to-day and agreed to
woparagraphs only, The Finance Com
mittee submitted an amendment reducing
The duty on cotton thread and carded
yarn. warps and warp yarn In singles
and the group of other articles in para
graph $40 from 20 per cent ad valorem,
where the Senate first placed 1t. to Is per
cent. That WAS agreed to. The Senate
greed also 10 an amendment reducing
the duty in paragraph 23l on spool
thread Of cotton, crochet. darninS and
embroidery cottons." &C. from ?j to 20
per cent ad valorem
Then an effort was made to rewrits
paragraph si2 relating to cotton cloths.
The Finance COMMITTEES had struck out
the House paragraph, but to-day offered
a SOD to the Senators who have been
grinding their knives to attack the cotton
cloth duties by Offering to restore the
House paragraph with modihcations'
Then the trouble was begun. Senator
Dolliver proposed an amendment. He
and Senator Adrich disagreed and the
rest OF the day was devoted to speech
making
At the first suggestion of duty on
cotton cloths Senator Dolsiver came
forward. as hc was expected to do, and
proceeded to dissect the work of the
Finance Committee He intimated that
there had been an effort to cover up IN
creases in confuse on of words, and as
he proceeded with his criticisms Senator
Aldrich showed that he was displeased,
4 to, q
a chulelISo had been offered and he was
ready 10 accept II.
We might as well fight it out now
on this paragraph said Mr. Aldrlch,
with determination.
Mr.. Aldrich said that the work OF The
committee was capable of defence and
referred TO tl,e attacks on the schedules
as beitig prompted by Eritish manu-
facturers and importers. lie referred
TO them as the agencies who were seeking
20 destroy the bill
Mr. Doliivcr tried to interrupt. but Mr..
Aldrich would not hear him. As soon.
however. as the Senator from Rhode
Island had concluded telling the Senate
that the object Of the committee in chang
ing the elassifcations was not to in
crease duties but to resc'ie statute
from the Interpretation put on it by the
courts and the appraisers, Mr.. Dolliver
arose,
With a show Of feeling he warned Mr.
AIdrioh that he would not submit to such
insinuations" as that he had received his
inspration from British importers and
manufacturers. He said that the decl.
eon which Mr. Aldrich had compla aimed
or as having had the effect Of changing
the intent of the Dngley law was made
by Martin NJ. Devries. chairman of the
Board of General Appraisers in New York.
He said that Senator Aldrich had called
Mr.. Devries to Washington and pract-
cally permitted him to write the cotton
goods schedule.
: Unce or tWioe Mr.. Aidrich seemed on
the point Of rising to reply while Senator
1ioiIiySr was coming nearer and nearer
to him and emphasizing his ca arnest speech
with driving gestures OF Sthe right hand.
Mr. Dolliver declared that he held no
Lriefs from British importers, that he had
got much OF his information from the
Book or estimates prepared by Senator
Aidrich's committee, on which the Senator
from Rhode Island had been able IL pre-
dict the revenues that would how from the
tariff bill down 10 "the fraction OF dol
lar He said that Mr.. Aldrich 3 dispo-
sition To chide Senators who did not ac-
had become habitual. He warned the
chairman of the Finance Committee that
he would invoke the rules OF the Senate to
pro tect himself against insinuatlons which
we're "unt,ecoming TO the Senate of the
United States and unbecouing to con-
versAtion between gentlemen In con-
ciuson he advised Mr.. Aldrich to get the
ghost the British manufacturer. out OF
your systoin.
A" Mr. Aldrich in replying made an earnest
defence Of Chairman Devries OF the Board
of General Appraisers. VINO, he said had
come 70 Washington from New York under
orders from President Taft to assist the
Finance Committee in its work. He ac-
Quilted Mi. Devrias of the iesponsibiiity
for the cotton goods schedule, He said
Mr. Devries had never made suggestion
concerning it and had not seen IL until
after the committee completed its work.
Mr.. Doliiver replied that the Senator
from Rhode Island was more solictous
for the reputation OF the chairman OF the
Board Of General Appraiser RS than he was
for one of his colleagues in the Senate. He
then charged that Mr. Aldrich had re-
peatedly cispsraged the Senator from
Iowa b. suggestions that he was sleeping
with British importers.
By this time Senator Aldrich's n face had
taken on n goo, ma tured smile and he
arose and disavo owed any intention Of dis
Iaraging the senator from Iowa. He said
that II he had ever uttered a word Of dis
para cement Of Mr.. Dollver il was done
'inconsriuusly and that he then and there
withdrew IL and apo!ogi7ed, Then Mr..
Dolliver adt itted that probably he had
said some things about the Board Of Gen
eral Appraisers which might well have
been left Insad. and he made some res
ervatiots.
For the time being the trouble over the
board Of General Appraisers seemed to
subside, but Just before the close Of the
sess,on Senator Root decided to come to
the defence OF tie experts Of the Gov
prnment' He said that he was moved TO
speak from O sense Of personal loyalty
20 the class OF Go, ernment employees
with which ne was associated while he
WAS United States Attorney for the South
ern district Of New York. He spoke Of
their hign character and efficiency.
They are not the agents Of msnufac.
turers,' sa,d Mr. Ro,t, they are our
agents" Then Mr. Root pointed out the
value OF the experts assistance and
mission,
Senator Lodge defended the cotton
schsdules in the pending bill. He read
from speeches made at the Republican
national convention and the Republican
platform adopted by the convention to
show that the Republican party was not
pledged to revise the tariff downward,
but only TO revise and readjus the ex-
isting rates in accordance with the pro-
tective system.
The pending bill. he said, was an over
whelming revision downward. There
were 37a reductions from the Dingley
rates. he said, and there were only thirty
three increases. mostly on luxuries.