The Washington times., 1909-06-29
REPUBLICANS FAVOR
TILLNAN'S TEA TAX
Smith of Michigan, Carter.
Dixon, and Hepburn Sup
port South Carolinian.

Senator Trlman's proposition TO i'm
pose a duty of ten cents per pound on
tea, for the purpose Of building up the
tea industry in the South. developed IN
J expected strength in the Senate this
! morning. A number Ct Republican Sen
ators spoke in favor OF it.
Senator William Alden Smith, Of
Michigan, in an earnest speech declared
he would support Senator TIl1nan's
amendment and declared he had not
known a better case made for levying a
/ duty than that made by the Senator
from South Carolina. He declared 1t
/ was strictly within the Republican pol
ley as TO protection. He stirred up
| something of a sensation by reading an
article from a Yokohama paper in
which it was stated the Central Jap
! anese Tea Guild was asking more sub
, sidy from the Japanese government for
I the reason It had been obliged TO spend
large sums in Washington combating
the idea of a duty on tea.
Senator Smith asserted that the real
source Of the consumers protests
against a tax or tea which were reach
| ing the Senate was japanese tea in
teTests. This propaganda against a
| revenue duty on tea Is a fraud" he ex-
claimed. THE price of tea never has
been raised in this country by a revenue
| duty
New Southern Industry.
Senator TiIlman has been led TO ad-
vocate a duty on tea on account OF the
success OF the experiments in tea Gull
| ture in South Carolina by DR.. Charles
q. Shepard. He takes the view that a
great industry can be built up IN the
South. In fact, he holds that this coun-
/ try can prot,uce its own tea. He said
on the Senate floor this morning that a
| great belt Of territory stretching along
! the coast from North Carolina TO Texas
/ was suitable for tea culture and that
almost all Of the territory which pro-
| duces cotton viii produce tea, except the
drier part OF the cotton territory.
| Senator Dixon Of Montana suggested
q bonus. but Senator Tillman said he
did not want to be tnveigled into any
! Republican schemes and was opposed
| 70 a bounty
Senator Hepburn brought out the fact
that If the duty was imposed Oh tea a
number Of men Of capital s.ere willing
J to make investments In tea culture II
was also brought out that a number Of
capitalists interested in attempting tea
culture were willing TO guarantee that
the price Of tea in this country would
not be increased If the duty were pus
on.
Good Politics.
4g4n-u1H4AlS tA4G POAllH VI lilE SLudIiOHs
Senator Tiliman intip-a it would be
beneficial TO the Republican party 10
/ pGS a duty on tea. He said that already
a lot Of people in the cotton business in
/ the South were squirting toward protec-
| ton and it was the same way in the
lumber business. However, he did not
think South Carolina would go Repub-
| lican while the Republican party MAIN
tanned its present attitude.
Senator Garter Of Montana addressed
The Senate in support Of Senator Till
mans amendment. He said IL was mer-
itoriOus, and he felt the tea industry
could be built up, and there were large
possibilities in Il.
Senator Hepburn of Idaho also spoke
for the tea duty. Senator McLauTin Of
Mississippi opposed 1t. He said il was
a strange doctrine that was advocated,
that OF imposing q duty on q necessity
of life and putting a burden on people
who were III able to stand It. He de-
Tended the retailer against the charge
made by Senator Carter and Senator
Hepburn that It was the retailer who
was responsible for high prices and not
the manufacturer or producer.
AIdnch to Take Rest.
Senator Aldrich announced IN the Sen
ate this morning that with the vote on
the tea amendment b. Senator T1llman,
the consideration of schedules in the
Committee of the Whole would be clos
ed. This led TO a protest from Senator
owen. who said that when the bill reach |
ed the Senate he would propose a series |
of amendments.
Senator Brown tried Intellectually TO
get the Senate TO consider now the Joint
resolution for an income tax amend
ment TO the Constitution. Sen tor /
Bailey and others objected.
AS soon as the corporation tax and
income tax amendments are under con-
sideration, Senator Aldrich will leave A
the city for a three days rest. Where
he Is going Is not made public The
strain on him for months past has been
intense and he wants a short rest while
FC