The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-05-16
DUTY LOWERED IN
STEEL SCHEDULE
Ssy$ Classes Of Wire Goods
Put on Lower List
CRITICISM BY JOHNSTON
Alabama Senator Talks HumorousIy
On the Tariff and Shows Wheto
Reductions Are Made in Only
Three Schedules.

Wash hington May 15.-The lowering
of duties in the case of eight or ten
classes of wire goods contained in the
steel schedule upon motion of Senator
Aldrich, in charge of the tariff bill,
gave great encouragement today to sem
ators who are advocating revision
downward. With evident qualification
Senator Beveridge greeted these pro
posed amendments by the, chairman of
the finance committee by declaring:
Good, that's making progress"
The entire session of the Senate was
devoted to the steel schedule, the sec
tion relating to pen knives being un-
der consideration when at 4:44 the Sen
ate adjourned to meet at 10 o'clock
Monday morning. one hour earlier than
the Senate has been beginning during
the last 10 days
Cores Resolution.
AS soon as a quorum was announced
in the Senate Mr. Gore, the blind SEN
ator from oklah oma, preclpitated a
lively debate by asking immediate con-
sideration of a resolution instructing
the committee on finance to obtain by
investigation the import prices of vari-
GUS articles of general and ordinary
consumption and also the wholesale and
retail prices of such articles when used
in this country. The object of the reso-
luton is to determine whether the re-
tailers of the country are practicing ex-
tortion In moving the resolution be
Mr.. Hale said it conferred no new au-
thority upon that committee and could
only embarrass it.
Senator Gore declared that the retail
dealers had been held up before the
country as practici4g extortion and he
wanted to have tl.s facts to determine
whether that was true.
eff the retsN alen are robbers iis
said. they should be held up TO the
wrath and execration of their coun-
trymen."
Mr.. Gore said he --ad investigated
and found that the pitchers referred to
ny S0ildlOf 0COll DIS 5CAiihb NAOiCooAp
at 80 cents dozen, retailed at 10 cents
and sometimes 10 cents each instead
of 25 cents as stated.
Consideration of the resolution was
postponed until Monday.
Senator Johnston Speaks.
Mr. Johnston of Alabama treated the
tariff humorodsly. He congratulated the
majority that 1t had placed ''spunl1" on
IL 41,ak
more of that article the republicans
would make better tariff bill.
80 far as ] have observed said Mr..
Johnston. mot a single democrat has ad-
vocated protection for single article, and
in no case SO far as I have observed has
a proposal been made to compose a reve-
nue. duty greater than 20 per cent, while
the average rate under this bill Is nearly
40 per cent. Reductions have been made
in this bill in only three schedules and
1t Is noticeable that Two of these in
clude articles largely produced in the
SOUTH and in the other reduction is less
than / per cent Protection has enough
sins to answer for without adding to them
unfair discrimination.
Looking further into this admirable
free list, | find raw silk free dhe duty
on the manufactured article is 90 per
cent?, whilst duty of nearly 1876 per cent
Is Ia 1u on WOODEN OF WOlSteu clOl1lS dl not
more than 40 per cent per yard. an article
largely in use by vast number of the
people of this country. So that when a
woman buys 10 yards of cloth for a wor-
sted dress, worth 81 abroad she has to
confront a protective duty or tax of l35
per cent and contribute S.. 40 to benev-
olent government or a protected manufac-
turer, making the cloth cost her SO. 40; at
the same time her more favored sister
I'LL 1l,,t
of only s.. Rags are wisely put on the
free list, and common shawls bear duty
of 92 per cent. It must be a great COM
fort to our people to know that under
republican rule they still may get rags
without paying cent of tribute to the
government or to any trust or manufac-
turer; the women of the country will be
delighted to know that whilst frocks are
high and stockings are going up, rags
are coming down.
whether or not he said, there has
been a compliance with the platform of
the republican party, or the recommended
ton of the President or the expectations
of the country, ! will undertake to say
that that of the Ia schedules OF the bill
containing some thousands of articles,
that in nine of these the duties have
been raised; two remain the same as in
the Dingley act and in three only is there
an apparent reduction.
Amendment withdrawn.
When the steel schedule was taken up
Mr.. Aldrich withdrew the amendment Of
the committee on finance increasing the
duty on structural steel from $40 to 4-10
of / cent a pound, and the House pro-
vision of S-10 of 1 cent per pound was
adopted.
Referring to an amendment to this
paragraph not permitting structural
steel to be assembled when imported
Mr.. Aldrich said "The rates of duty
in this industry have been cut nearly
one-half, and | desire to place on rec
ord the apprehension that we may be
committing grave injustice to this
great industry
That a duty will be placed on tung-
stem, a product of Colorado used in
making high grade steel, was an
nounced by Mr.. Aldrich duriAg COLI
louuy with Senator Hughes. This
would be done, Mr.. Aldrich said. In
order to build up the industry of pro-
ducing that mineral.
Mr.. Newlands, referring to Mr.. Oil
yer as a manufacturer, was interrupt
ed by the Senator from Pennsylvania,
who stated that he had not been in the
manufacturing business for eight
years.
"Unfortunately.'' he added, smiling,