Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-26
ENu|vEN THE DEBATE
Representatives Near Per-
sonaI Encounter in House.
FORDNEY AND BYRD ANGRY
Former Makes Use of Short Word
Beginning With D.
INCIDENT WINDS UP IN PEACE
Misunderstanding the Cause of a
Threatened Attack by Gentle
man From Mississippi.

The prosy tariff debate in the House
was enlivened this afternoon by an Incl
dent which for a few minutes seemed to
threaten a personal encounter between
two members of the House on the floor.
1t soon developed. however, that the af-
fair was the result of misunderstand-
ing. and 1t quickly blew over with an in
terchange Of expressions of mutual re-
spect and good WILL
Mr.. Fordney of Michigan, who is lum-
ber manufacturer, was making speech
On the lumber schedule. For an hour he
uad been badgered by members with ques-
tions as to the existence of an alleged
lumber trust. Mr.. Fordney had denied In
the most emphatic manner, time and
again, the existence of such a trust. Fin
ally Mr.. Byrd Of Mississippi contended
that there was some kind of an arrange
ment by which manufacturers controlled
prices. and Mr.. Fordney understood Mr..
Byrd to say that Mr.. Fordney. through
his firm, had personal knowledge of it.
Mr.. Fordney denied knowledge of any
such condition, whereupon Mr.. Byrd as
serted for his part that he knew whereof
he spoke.
You don't know d-n thing about it,
then,'' Mr.. Fordney exclaimed, amid gen.
eral laughter.
Byrd Starts Toward Fordney.
Mr. Byrd, who is tall. powerful man.
darted from his place on the democratic
side. his face flushed with anger. and
started toward Mr.. Fordney, who stood in
the main aisle. Up to this time the House
had apparently regarded the matter jocu-
larly, but Mr.. Byrd's demeanor showed
he took it seriously.
AS he continued his progress toward
Mr.. Fordney it dawned on those near him
that a fight was imminent, and several
gentlemen undertook to restrain Mr..
BYRD. One democrat shouted demand
that Mr.. Fordney's language be taken
down, and there was cons Siderable confu-
sion in The space in front OF the Speak
er's desk. where Mr.. Byrd was struggling
with his colleagues. who were cllnSlnS II
him and who finally induced him to step
back toward the door leading TO the
lobby.
Mr.. Fordney made himself heard above
the uproar and stated that he had not in
tended to affront the gentleman. but that
he had understood Mr. Byrd to say that
Mr. Fordney's firm was in the lumber
trust and he could not stand for that
statement.
Mr.. Byrd gave assurance that he had
not meant to make such a statement and
resumed his seat.
Kuesterman Denounces Oil Joker y
The debate on the tariff bill continued
in the House YESTERDAY until late hour.
Mr.. Knapp of New York said there were
some features of the bill with which he
was not in entire accord. He opposed
| especially the wood pulp and print paper
schedule, and pointed out what, he said
would be its injurious effects on that in
dustry in the United States.
Following an academic discussion OF
| the tariff. Mr.. kuestermann of Wisconsin
| opposed the countervailing duty on oil
! which, he argued. had enabled the Stand
ard Oil Company TO sell oil in England
at from 3 TO cents a gallon less than
| in the United States. lie declared that
he had received positive assurance that
that feature of the Dingley bill would be
omitted from the Payne bill.
! But" he said, holding up a copy OF
| the measure. here is the little joker
| standing before me in all it's wickedness
| ready to take from twelve to fifteen mil
| lions of dollars out of the pockets Of our
people and adding it to the vast profits
| of the greatest trust on earth"
! The people, he said. were thus left al
the mercy of that ever-hungry monop-
| oily
| Replying TO Mr. RandelI of Texas. Mr.
| Kuestermann said he was not prepared Ia
state that the position of John d. Rookie
| feller in the last election had something
| to do with the Oil schedule. If, he as
serted, any one expected to ticd d SOU
! in the Standard Oil Company he would
| make serious mistake.
asked by Mr.. Stephens of Texas if he
had come across any other joker in
| the BILL Mr.. Kuestermann. amid applause
| and laughter said he had been SO occu-
pied in discovering this little joker
| that he had not found time to hunt for
others.
That no one for some time knew OF
| the presence in the Dingley bill of the
so-caled oil joke was the statement OF
| Mr. Cooper of Wisconsin. How it was
put in lie said he did not know, but il
| was put in with the knowledge of but u
| or Senate To the surprise of everybody
however, he declared, some one discoV-
! cred it long after the DinSley bill be-
came law.
For Benefit of Producers.
| While asserting that he was not de-
| Tending the Standard Oil Company. Mr.
Smith OF California said it had no ad-
vantage over others in the refining of
oil The trouble, he said, was in the
transportation of the oil. de contended
that if others could get the same price
as the Standard as to transportation they
l =
distributing il. He argued that the pro-
duction OF crude oil in the United States
was the business OF the comparatively
small capitalist. Those producers he de-
clared, needed the duty in order that they
might realize fair profit. Indeed. said
he If the Standard Oil Company were
represented on the floor of the House and
had the decision OF the question it would
strike out the provision with reference
to the countervailing duty. Not Russia
but Mexico. he said, was the competitor
of the United States and Mexico was the
place where the Standard would go to
buy oil if the duty We're taken off and
leave the American oil producer with his
wells shut down. He insisted that tn
duty in TO sense was in the interest of
the Standard Oil Company as refiner
and transporter of oil, but was in the in
terest OF the producer.
At this juncture Mr.. Vreeland OF New
York rose and said that to some extent
he was responsible for the retention OF
that duty in the Payne bill. Il did it
he declared, lin response to requests
from thousands of men in my district
engaged in producing oil. ] did it in be-
half OF 5O0.OOO American citizens engaged
in producing oil every day of the year.
did not do 1t in behalf of the Standard
Oil Company. He announced that later
he would fully explain his course.