The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1909-06-22
Montana Man Throws
Down the Gage
of Battle
WARNS HIS PARTY
ii Farmer Is Forced to Sell in the
Open Markets He Will Demand
That He Be Allowed to Buy i'm the
Cheapest Market Conf
dence Men.

a.YASHINGTON June 21.-The
w amendment of the senate COM
w mittee on finance taking hides
from the free list and restoring the
Dingley rate law of Is per cent adva-
loren was before the senate all day,
and it probably will not be disposed
of before late tomorrow.
Senator Warren of Wyoming, and
Senator Carter of Montana, supported
the provision and in vigorous language
attacked the attitude of the free hide
advocates, while Senator Page OF Yer
mont defended the action of the house
in the placing of hides on the free list.
Mr.. Warren declared that the senate
had been insulted by the charge that
the Dingley provision had been insert
ed as the result Of midnight confer
@ence and he declared that free rSW
material would be the death knell of
the protective policy If it should be
adopted while Mr.. Carter asserted that
IL the farmers were to be compelled
to sell their produce in the open mar
ket, they would demand the right to
buy manufactured articles in the same
kind of market.
In support of free hides, Mr. Page
acontended that the adoption OF such
policy would not injure the farmers,
while at the same time it would be
of great benefit to the leather mer-
chants, He said the beef trust gar
nered all the profits from whatever
source.
Continuing his advocacy of tariff
on hides, when the tariff bill was Ia
ken up at the beginning of today's
session of the senate, Senator Warren,
of Wyoming, declared the senate had
been injured and insulted" by the
man who, in seeking free hides had
declared the duty had been put in the
Dingley bill by some midnight" pro-
cess, He promised to present facts
to show the value of the hides and 10
prove that duty on that part OF
the bovine carcasses would be OF ma
terial benefit to the farmer.
"If a confidence man at a circus
ever presented less plausible propo-
sitions to the farmer than that, Mr.
Carter declared, referring to the attl-
tude of the senators who desired free
hides, che was certainly wanting In
will.
"Neyer before have the farmers In
Justice been so discontented," he con-
timed. "He is told, first, that the
duty does him no good, and therefore
if would be taken off Then he is
told that the duty will be left on
leather shoes and harness for the
benefit of the farmers. He is also told
he is to buy in protected markets ana
sell in the open markets OF the Worlu
the things he has to sell.
eff" Mr.. Carter declared, Wltn We
hemence. "the farmer is to sell in the
omen markets, he will demand that ne
be allowed to buy in the cheapest
market"
senator Page defended the house
-nrovision for free hides. He discuss
ed at length the influence OF the Cen
trial Leather company, generally re
ferred to as the leather trust, on the
nrice of hides. claiming that 1t dlo
not tan more than 25 per cent OF the
total number of hides in the country.
His conclusion was that this company
could not be the only beneficiary OF
free trade in hides.
On the contrary, he contended that
the great beef corporations ABSORB
the profits on hides, whatever Cney
NAV be. thus cutting out the FARMER
and the manufacturer. Mr.. Page de-
q, .Iared that with free hides the snoe
fand harness manufacturers could COM
,pete with the world. He said that the
net profit on shoes is from to cents
pair.