Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-07-29
WASHINGTON LETTER
CUMMINS INSISTS ON HEAVY
TARIFF BILL CUTS.
True to Real Revision. Senate Pro.
greSSiveS Say Free Coal, Hides,
Oil, and Ore Not Enough. Cum
minis Points Out Robbery In Steel
and Wooden Schedules.

WASHINGTON, d. c., July 25.-
Emphasizing the importance If in
sisting upon reductiol.S in the Gu
ties upon manufactures as we'll as
upon raw material, Senator Cum
Minis, of Iowa, late today made pub
lie a statement which is accepted
as representing the views of at least
a majority of the progressive" re-
publican senators relative to the pres
ent situation of the tariff bill.
Previously Mr.. Cummins had been
in consultation for two hours with
the president, and an exchange of
views had passed between Mr.. Cum
minis and others of the ten who voted
against the tariff bill in tho senate.
The prOnuoncement is evidently in
tended to meet the idea, that the
president and the downward revision
lists would be content with free raw
material. 81 endorse every word Of
the statement recently made by the
president and earnestly hope that
he will be successful in bringing the
conferees to his views,' says Mr..
Cummins, who then calls attention
to the fact that especial emphasis
has been placed upon the so-called
raw materials"
Free Raw Materials Not Enough.
81 feel compelled" says Mr.. Cum
Minis, ito remind the public that
neither the presidents statement nor
our fight was SO confined" He then
proceeded while it is of the ut
most Importance that iron ore. oil,
hides and coal be dealt with as pro-
posed by the president, it is of still
greater Importance that the duties on
manufactured products shall be
brought down somewhere near the
protective point. 1t will be of little
advantage to the body of the people
to do away with unnecessary duties
upon raw materials If the manufac-
turers are permitted to enjoy the ex-
cessive duties that enable them to
take extortionate profits upon the
things that the people must buy
and use."
Instancing the most prominent
features of the Senate bill which he
thinks should be amended, Mr.. Cum
minis says that those who have been
contending for lower duties can afford
to surrender a part of their just de-
mands if they can, in the main. OBJ
tain the reductions which insure the
people against undue prices in the
chief commodities of commerce.
He then outlines his principal OBJ
iections to the bill as it left the SEN
ate. He says the reductions in the
steel schedule generally are not suf-
ficient, but the schedule might be
accepted but for the increase on
structural iron and steel.
Steel Duty Exorbitant.
Structural iron and steel, the use
of which is so rapidly increasing, y
says Mr. Cummins, "is raised from the
Dingley rate of $40 per ton and the
house rate of Sc per ton to 45 per
cent ad valorem, which, at the pres
ent price of this commodity. means
duty of SIG per ton, an increase
over the present law of So per ton,
and over the house provision Of $40
per ton.
"When it is considered that the
duty on steel rails is $3.50 per ton
and their market price is $2S pei
ton, the proposed duty upon form
of steel which sells for $35 per tor
is wholly indefensible. Free iron ore
is very desirable thing, but wher
the welfare of the consumer is taker
into account it would be vastly bet
ter if fair rate can secured on bu
one of these items to allow the dut!
on iron ore to go at % cents per ton
and cut the duty on structural stee
to $5 or Sc per ton, where 1T proper
ly belongs, and where it would still
furnish complete protection for home
producers, measured by the republi
can standard.
Lumber, Paper and Cotton Too Higl
I'm the lumber schedule, if bot
rough and dressed lumber are no
free, as they ought to be, the hous
rate of 81 on rough lumber shoul
be preserved, and the differential up
on dressed lumber should begin a