Evening star., 1909-06-23
LINES BROKEN
Senate Refuses to Adopt
House Rate on Lumber.
STANDS BY COMMITTEE
Eight Democrats Vote Against the
Reduction.
ADOPTION OF THE $3.50 DUTY
Tillman Explains Frankly Why He
Supported the Dingley Rate and
Now Is for Free Lumber.

| sand feet on rough lumber, which is just
half the present rate and so cents less
than the rate proposed by Senator Aid
rich. The amendment for dollar lum-
ber'' failed to the tune of "a to "A.
| Without a sign of a speech the Senate
| today began voting as soon as a quorum
| had been procured. Whether due to the
| hot weather or to exhaustion of the ora
| tors from other causes the change was
accepted as a good omen by those who
are anxious to crowd the tariff bill to
| final action and have the session come to
an end.
! The air in the Senate chamber was
close and sultry when promptly at 10
| o'clock President Pro Tempore Frye rap
ped for order There were comparatively
| few senators in their seats and call for
| a quorum was made as soon as Mr..
Aldrich had indicated his desire to have
the Senate proceed with the considera-
| ton of the lumber schedule.
| Senator Aldrich offered the finance
| committees substitute for the House
| lumber schedule as soon as the Senate
convened this morning. Besides fixing
the rate on sawed lumber at 81 thou
| sand feet. 1t increased the House differ
entails on dressed lumber materially. al
| though Mr.. Aldrich explained that the
differentials were but IS per cent of those
of the present law.
McCumber Amendment Rejected.
Senator McCumber of North Dakota.
who is a member of the finance commit
tee, at once offered his amendment reduc-
ing the Aldrich rate of $50 thousand
feet on rough lumber to 81. He did not
discuss it at length, having explained his
position to the Senate in an extended
speech a few weeks ago.
When the vote was taken fourteen re-
publicans rallied to the support of Mr..
McCumber's proposition. They were Bev-
eridge, Bristow, Brown, Burkett, Burton,
tis, Gamble, La Toilette, McCumber and
Nelson. Only ten democrats voted for
the reduction. namely: Bankhead. Clay,
Gore. Hughes. Johnston. McLaurin. Over
man, Paynter, Tillman and Davis.
Against the McCumber amendment was
a solid phalanx Of thirty-six stalwart re-
publicans from the eastern states and the
far western lumber states. and also eight
democrats, namely: Bacon, Bailey, Cham
berlain. Fletcher, Foster, Martin. Money,
| Simmons, Smith Of Maryland and Taylor.
After this defeat Mr.. McCumber offered
another amendment to reduce the duties
| on various sorts Of dressed lumber either
all the way or nearly to the House rates.
| He proposed to cut the committees rate
on lumber planed on one side from 90
cents per thousand feet to 25 cents. and
| on the more nl&nly unlSucQ SOTlS Hc pIO-
posed to reduce the rate one-third. max
| ing the rate on lumber planed on one
side and tonged and grooved. or planed
on two sides. 80 cents instead of IS
cents, etc.
| He then undertook to explain that the
| Aldrich differentials were enormously
high" and entirely unjustifed by the
facts regarding the cost OF finishing
lumber.
Mr.. McCumber was assisted in his ef-
forts to prove that the Aldrich differentiai
on dressed lumber was too high by Sen
ator Clapp of Minnesota.
i Mr.. Aldrich contended that the COM
mittees rates were necessary to protect
the lumber mills OF the country, and he
was supported by Senators Smoot of Utah.
Hepburn of Idaho. Smith Of Maryland and
others.
| Tillman's Frank Admission.
! Before the vote was taken Senator Till
man of South Carolina declared that he
had been looking for chance TO vote
for free lumber. He denied that the Nc
cumber amendment. for free lumber,
which was defeated several weeks ago.
covered the entire subject. 1t left a duty
on certain southern woods. he said, and
for that reason he had voted against it.
| Mr.. Tillman admitted frankly that he
Mnen nan V9fso the pingley 5H bill was passed re-
marking at the time that III there was
going to be any stealing am going to
1 get my share"
II have found that 1 can't get my
| share" he explained today, land therefore
| am going to vote against any duty"
He explained further that lumber men
from the northwest had bought up tim
Der lands in the southwestern corner
| Of his state and pushed the price to the
| consumer away up in the air. SO that
nobody got any benefit from the tariff
in his state except these men,
Replying to a question by Senator
Smith of Michigan. Mr.. Aldrich said
that the committee rates on dressed
! lumber were % per cent lower than the
rates in the present law.
The McCumber amendment reducing
! the. committee rates on dressed lumber
| was defeated. 80 to 49. although 1t
polled seventeen republican votes-name-
ly, Beveridge. Bristow. Brown. Burkett.
Burton, Carter, Clapp. Crawford. Cum
| MINIS Curtis. Dolliver. du Pont. Ganhb BILE.
johnson, La Toilette. McCumber and
| Nelson This time ten democrats voted
against the reduction.
Committees Rate Adopted.
The vote was then taken on the COM
mittee's substitute, and it was adopted 80
TO %. with the republicans voting mo"
who had supported Mr.. McCumber's
amendments, with several exceptions
Twelve democrats voted with Mr.. AL
drich. namely. Bacon, Bailey. Chamber
lain, Daniel. Fletcher. Foster. McEnery.
Martin. Simmons. Smith OF Md. Talia-
ferro and Taylor.
An amendment offered by Senator Gore
of Oklahoma for the purpose of allowing
all lumber intended for building schools,
churches and other religious and educa-
tional institutions to come in free was
defeated on viva voce vote, the Senate
refusing to grant a yea and nay vote
The Senate then proceeded to clear up
the rest Of the lumber schedule. Mr.. Al
drich presented amendments increa sing
the rate on ciapboards from 90 to 81. so
per thousand feet. on laths from % to
% cents per thousand pieces. and on
shingles from 30 to so cents per thou
sand pieces These amendments were
agreed to.
Duty on Boxes Goes Over.
Senator Taliaferro of Florida then