Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-05-13
WASHING TON LETTER
nv John J. Hannah
Uy OOfIII q AIeIIiiIetIf
uQuQQIlnunlIr

Washington, D. c., May 10.-Sena-
| tor Aldrich is worried. His tariff bill
is not having the plain sailing which he
predicted. 1t is revision upward. Mr..
Aldrich says there was no promise
made to revise the schedules down.
ward. There are many republicans
who have different conception of the
pledge made in the Chicago Platform.
These men are not making spasmodic
attacks upon the bill, but they seem to
have a definite understanding to at
tack every advance made in the Sen
ate over the Dingley rates or over the
rates of the House bill.
The desire to know the reasons for
the advance and their persistency may
be judged from the fact that they
stood Mr.. Aldrich and members of the
finance committee up for three days
and questioned them in regard to the
lead schedules.
| The one fact which stands cut above
all others in the tariff discussion is the
lack of knowledge on the part of Sena-
tor Aldrich or any member of the fl
nance committee as to the reasons for
the increase in the schedules upon
1 which they have been questioned. The
| work which Senator Bristow did upon
| the floor when without knowing any
thing of range mineral he jumped in
to ask question as to why the duty
should be increased upon this product
and then following it up with other
questions stamped him as one of the
most valuable men and one of the alb
lest in the Senate. He did remark
able piece of work during the three
days that he practically held the lead
schedules up, during all of which time
he continually drove home the idea
that he was going to know, that he
must have the information, that the
finance committee was there to give it,
and that they must produce it, The
showing of the finance committee was
so pitible that Senator Burkett of Ne
braska on the third day took the floor
and sharply lectured the members of
that committee for bringing in bill
about which they were not adequately
Informed and they were unable to fur
nish adequate information to Senators.
He objected to the fact that the COM
mittee had not had hearings and placed
the evidence before the Senate He
said that he was determined to get to
! the bottom as to these schedules.
| Senator Aldrich's reply was a little
sarcasm about the misfortunes of the
country that the committee had not
had the counsel of the Senator from
Nebraska. In reply to Mr.. Burkett's
statement that he wanted to see the
interests of the consumer protected
Mr.. Aldrich said:
"The increase in the cost of living
is owing almost wholly to the increase
in the cost of agricultural products.
These people (the farmers) are not
here asking for lower duties"
So Mr.. Aldrich intends to throw the
burden of the new tariff with it's in
crease of duties onto the backs Of the
western farmers because they are not
represented here in Washington with
lobbies asking for change in duties.
He did not endeavor to meet the criti-
cism that the committee was without
!. information and this is the main point
If there is information at hand show
ing the difference in the cost of pro-
duction at home and abroad, it is ar
easy matter to arrange the tariff
schedules. 1t was not the purpose OF
Mr. Bristow to change the schedule or
lead, but it was his purpose to bring
out the information. The amendment
of the Senate upon the lead schedule
was left unchanged.
In the course of the debate and JUS
before the vote, Senator La Toilette
made the following statement:
''Mr. President, | desire to say JUS
word before the vote is taken on the
! proposed amendment.
] PERSONALLY | do not believe that i
is possible under existing conditions il
7 the lead industry to affect materially
4 by any duty imposed the wages paid t.
! miners employed in mining lead in thi'
Z country, because | believe the lead
! producing properties in this country
! are controlled by combination which
regulates prices in every branch o.
that industry.
81 had my attention called to dis
patch in the New York Herald o.
yesterday, from which I quote the fol
] lowing:
Especial dispatch to the Herald via
Commercial Gable Company's system)
London, Wednesday.
Seventy per cent of the entire
worlds lead supply is to be brought
under the absolute control of one GROUP
of separate corporations, working to-
gether in harmony. Prices are to adj
vance from $68. IS a ton, as at present
to $95 or $500 a ton.
The immense interests concerned
comprise the Guggenheims and other
large American Producers, the Spanish
Association of Products, the Broker
Hill interests of Australia, and the
German lead trust. These interests
have combined to control 70 per cent OF
the worlds lead supply, and their
position in the worlds markets will en-