The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1909-03-18
AS Taken by the Committee
For the Information
of Congress.

F $3.50
WASHINGTON. ~ C.ssMaf. IT,
Fully three hundred importers and
exporters and, manufacturers and
agrlculturists, and tariff experts APP
peared before the House committee
on Ways and Means at the various
hearings which began November IL
and continued daily until December
%, and also at several supplemental;
hearing! Some Of the most prorn-
inent men in the manufacturing and
financial worlds presented testimony
OF varied and interesting character.
In addition to this testimony there
were thousands Of briefs fled with
the committee, which added to the
statistics furnished by the various
government departments and agents
sent abroad. together with special
data compiled by Thomas j Doherty,
assistant counsel Of the treasury de-
tpartment and Major Herbert II.
Lord who was clerk OF the Ways and
Means committee when the, Dingley
tariff was framed, has given the
committee information more COM
plete than has ever been at the dis
posal Of tariff framing committee.
Andrew Carnegie, Charles II.
Schwab, Judge E. H. Gary and other
steel magnates furnished the most
interesting testimony. Mr.. Carnegie,
who caused considerable discussion
by preclaiming, in magazine article,
that the steel manufacturers OF this
country do not need any tariff pro-
lection. was before the committee
for nearly eight hours. His testi-
mony. while witty and entertaining,
did not offer the tariff makers much
specific information regarding the
cost of manufacturing steel and 9th
er articles. He dealt largely in the
cries and deductions and avoided fig
ures, claiming that he was not ia :
miliar with the details of the. steel
business at the present time. but
spoke from his general knowledge
gained in the business before he re-
tired to private life. FL
Government Control.
Judge Gary, who was one of the
best equipped and most satisfactory
witnesses who appeared before the
committee, preceded Carnegie by
several days. He declared that the
steel manufacturers re-
quires tariff protection and said thai
~ the duty on steel should be re-
moved, the United States Steel Corr
poration, OF whose board of direct
ors he. is chairman. would secure a
monopoly of the market, The cost
of labor would he reduced, he said.
if the tariff on steel was taken Off
entirely. In the course of his testi-
mony Judge Gary declared in favor
of Government control of manufac-
turers to preventthem from charging
a price which would give them more
than fair return on their invest
ments.
|. MIR. Schwab who was formerly
president OF the steel Corporation,
was one of the most earnes. advo-
Gates for protection for the steel In
dustry to appear before the commits
tee. His replies to the questions OF
members of the committee were re-
plete with figures and arguments.
He declared that the Bessemer pros
cess of steel manufacture will, with
TN five years, be superseded by the
open hearth process, which. he pre-
dicted. will in turn lie abandoned for
the electric system of manufacture
being deyeloped in Germany.
Protest gaiilst Free Lumber.
The agitation for free lumber by
those in sympathy with the move
ment for the conservation of the
s'hs' W lhN Souhliy ISsulltu III q
strong appeal from the lumber inter-
ests OF the South and northwest,
Representative Champ Clark, OF
Missouri. the minority leader of the
Honse. submitted the lumber mag
mates to severe cross examinations
and these hearings were among the
most Interesting. T. b. Walker and
Edward Hines. two of the largest
lumber dealers in the northwest, ar.
sued for the retention or the present
duty on lumber, claiming that the
United States cannot compete with
Canada in facilities or cheap trans.
portatton of cheap labor. A nun,
Der OF southern lumbermen also ask,
ed for protection, contending tina,
the cost of production has increased
4 severe arraignment Of the 40
called paper trust ny John Norris
representing the American Newypa
per Publishers Association. and a de
Tense OF the International Pape
rNk..-