The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-22
HIDES ON lH: FREE LIST
Repubs Have Brought Down Wrath
 Upon Their Heads.
The Cattle' Men are Now Busy Mar shaliing Their Forces to Try
 to Vote Down the
 Committee.
BY ALFRED ,. sToFER.

Dy pidClHS OA niOe0 on the Tree liets the Republicans who are responsible for the tarin bill reported the other day, have certainly brought down upon their heads the wrath of the live stock associations.
 The two largest organizations that have made 1t their business to watch legislation here are the American Ma tiopal Live Stock Association with headquarters at Denver, and the Cattle Raisers' Association of Texas. the main omces of which are at Ft. Worth. These associations have oflces also in Washington from which a great deal of hard work was done to prevent, If possible. the action that was taken by Chairman Payne and his associates on the Ways and Means Committee Payne q Co. however. would not pay the slightest attention to the demands of | the cattle raisers.
 shallinE their forces to try to vote down the committee when 1t comes to deciding in the House whether or not the free hides provisions shall remai in in the bill. Of course, their only hope Is to work up a revolt on the Repu6li- can side of the hall among members from the statesin in which live stock in- jority leaders into making a cam promise so that small duty at least may be kept on hides.
 In their appeal to Congress the live stock associations have this to say:.
 "We urge that a reasonable tariff. consistent with the general policy of the law, which shall be enacted, be re- tained on cattle and other live animals. and on hides and wool. We strenuous iy oppose placing hides. on the free list. as Is urged by tanners and man. ufacturers of leather and shoes, while retaining those articles on the dutia- ble list. and declare that it would be the worst sort of discrimination against the stock raiser and the farmer. with no resultant benefit to them or the public"
 To stand Together.
 At this writing the policy of the House Republicans appears to he to stand pretty solidly together. in order to prevent the Democrats from making amendments to the tariff bill, for they desire that 1t shall go through prac- tically as reported from the commit tee. On this free hides business 1t Is believed that the Democrats will not assist in any movement to eliminate 1t from the measures. and therefore 1t hardly seems possible that the live stock associations will be able to ac- complish anything unless a compro- mise is fixed up on the Republican side. and all members of that party decide to band solidly together
 The agricultural associations have been taking an active interest in the movement for free lumber This move ment has been engineered chiefly by largely circulated weekly Journals de- voted to the interests of the farmers And they have surely dumped a lot of positive and interesting information into Washington on the subject. Not arf, +, ertxy as to the farmers demand in this re- spect, but the duly accredited corre- spondents of the more important daily newspapers have received their full share of the communications that have been sent out. If these agents for the farmers are to be,believed the tillers of the soil are going to be much dis appointed if Congress does not place lumber of all grades sauarely on the free list along with coal. iron ore. hides, cotton and some other articles as provided in Mir. Payne's bill Here's the way the farmer organizations have been putting up the argument to Con- gressmen Tn a tart circular:
 "The way 1t looks to us. and we be- lieve the farming community gener- | ally, Is that tariff revision with the duty left on lumber will be delusion and a snaPe--Hamlet with Hamlet left out We would view with suspicion every revised schedule passed by a Congress that would vote to keep the tarifr on lumber. If the lumber in dustry Is an infant please name one that Is not.
 Members of Congress should be warned to be on guard against the elaborately worked up sentiment the | lumber associations and lobbyists are producing among their bankers and business dependents. The. real senti- ment of the country has been crystal lized for years. You know What 1t Is everybody does.
 4 Fake Scare.
 'The farmers are not to be fooled by | specious talks about protecting their woodlots losing markets through in- | fury to the lumber business and that the way to conserve our forests Is to concentrate the entire, domestic and an immense foreign demand on them The lumber industry is meg, scared than it will be hurt and the scare Is l mostly fake.
 If Congress wants to make good on tariff revision. let 1t make a de- monstration of faith by works. and take off the lumber duty"
 | A man of sense and Judgment in go- ing over the arguments that have been presented Is mighty apt to conclude that all this pulling and hauling, and the lambasting that one crowd k en- deavoring to give the other in orde, to gain an advantage under the pro- posed revision of the tarin proves thai the late Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock was on the right track when. he sait in 1880 as candidate for President o1 the United States that the tariff Is a local Issue. And there Is every indi. cation that before the new law |. placed on the statute books that this fact is going to be demonstrated many l tirnes h hoth the House and Senate