Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-05-06
'JOKERS' IN ALDRICH BILL
Several Senators Will Attack In
Productions in Tariff Measure.
Important Sche dulles Hit-Ta1k Of
Trickery In Connection with Sem
ate Anne ments-Curren Cap
ltol News.


The Brooklyn Eagle correspondent
says: A number Of so-called "iokers"
and basket traps scattered sklfully
through the Aldrich BILL are to be ex-
plotted by courageous republican sena-
tors who dare to oppose the pet measure
Of the powerful boss from Rhode Island.
The "jokers' affect the most important
schedules and lively times are promised
when they are reached in the considera-
ton OF the bill.
Certain republican senator's are grad
ually getting up their nerve to attack
various sections OF the Aidrich bill. In
the cloakrooms and corridors they talk
frankly about trickery and jugglery in
connection with certain Senate amend
ments. Scarcely a republican senator Is
to be encountered who is satisfied with
the pending measure. Most OF them.
however. have a pet interest to protect
and are afraid to come out in the open
and repeat what they say in the cloak
rooms. The result is that unless the
handful of Independent republicans. who
seem to have no fear of Adrich. should
weaken in their present intentions of
exposing the ''jokers'' the bill will go
ceptions untouched.
The tariff bill is a complicated piece OF
work and is "A verltable iuzzle to one lin
familiar with the subject. Many sec
tons are interdepcndent and there are
numerous schedules affecting articles
upon which apparently no duties are i'm
posed. Only under the close scrutiny Of
an expert is the real condition uncov-
|
cies OF the tariff and tariff making better
probably than any other man in public
life. The bill as it came from his COM
mittee was even more complicated than
the measure that passed the House
Senator Knute Nelson OF Minnesota a
| hard-headed republican with courage. is
loading up with ammunition to attack
| four schedules, Gotten, wooden, earthen-
ware and glassware. He asserts that the
rates on these articles in the Aldrich bill
are higher than those in the Dingley law,
and the DingleY law rates, he declares.
are altogether too high.
| These rates" says Senator Nelson,
| ARE higher than the principle of protec-
| ton warrants"
| Senator Cummins Of Iowa has under
taken to tell the country something a.
bout the protection afforded to the steel
trust in the Aldrich bill. The House,
| responding to the clarnor OF the public.
put pig iron on the fire. list and made
material cuts in the duties on iron ore,
steel rails and other manufa ctures OF
steel. Senator Aldrich boosted all these
reductions. II IS charged that Senato or
| Aldrich introduced a Joker in this sched-
ule. This appears In section 1la Of the
bill. 1t relates to steel used for struc.
tural purposes.
| The bill 1t passed the House pro-
vided that structural steel. "htted for
use" should be taxed at the rate Of three
tenths Of n cent pound. or 20 per cent.
ad valorem. This provision was SO
changed as to exclude structural steel
| Fitted for use" from the application of
the 20 per cent. duty. Such steel. there
| fore. comes within the scope of another
| basket trap which imposes a duty al
the rate of 40 per cent. ad valorem. In
| cdentally, the Senate bill increased the
duty on structural steel. not fitted fol
use. from three-tenths to four-tenths o.
a cent pound. This "trifing" increase
1t Is charged. Is worth approximately
SO. 900 a year to the steel trust.
| when he tariff was UP for considera
ton at hearings of the committee or
ways and means. Andrew Carnegie, a
mong others. urged that iron and stee
be placed on the free list. or that the
duties be decreased materially.
Senator Deliver of Iowa is on the trai
of another Joker" in the schedules set
ting forth the rates of duty on cOttor
cloth. This alleged joker is built upor
mercerized cotton. Under it every yart
of such cloth, containing the minutes
| thread OF merccrize cotton. Is subject L
a surtnx. First there is tax on plair
cotton, and an additional tax on mer
cerized cotton. manufactured nlarg'
volume in New England. 1t is charged
that the cotton schedule. as framed. /!
worth millions of money to the cottor
trade. 1t is good thing for the trade
but a bad thing for the consumer. Or
some lines of cotton goods, it Is alleged
by importers. there are increases In rate
running as high as 60 per cent.
Senator DolIver Will also devote hi
attention to the schedule covering wooler
goods. 1t is charged that the duties II
this schedule are the highest enforced
by any nation In the world. Senato
Dolllver will contrast these rates will
the duties on Injuries in an attempt Il
show that Senator Aldrich's statemen
that the duties on necessities have beer
reduced does not hold water. Senator
Dolliver will refer to the maximum dut,
OF 50 per cent. on wooden goods and thu
10 per cent. duty on diamonds and jewel
ry.
James r. Garfield, former secretary o
the interior under Mr. Roosevelt. vii
probably be the republican candidate 70
governor of Ohio at the next election
He is being doomed for this place b.
Senator Theodore L. Burton. Presiden
Taft is very much interested In the CUB
ernatorial situation in his home State
because of the serious likelihood OF IL
becoming debatablc ground In the mex
presidential campaign.
1t Is now practically certain that III
democrats. next year. will renomnat
Governor Judson Harmon. Harmon l
making n splendid impression az gov
ernov. He Ia building up a strong ma
chine and Is advocating progressive leg
islation OF the kind that il calculated Il
increase his popularity with the masses
He will surely be renomnated. and II h