Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-26

W.T. sIINGTON, March pa VOL
w untary admission by Mr.. Nree-
w land of New York that he was
IN some extent responsible for RETAIN
ing in the Payne tariff bill the counter
vailine dutv on oil was the climax Oh
todav;s tariff discussion in the house
MIR. Vreeland had sat for some time
aud heard various insinuations tnat
the duty, which some have character
ized as a cocker" was to be levied Sole
" in the interest of the Standard Oli
company This he denied, ana eN-
planned that his action was " Response
10 requests from thousands OF OIL pro-
ducing men and in behalf of 4OO,Ooo men
engaged in the same business. -
Numerous speeches were MADE. ne
Democratic arguments were for taril
for revenue only, while the Repuol-
cans attacked such schedules as those
on WOOL wood pulp ana print paper
and crude petroleum.
AT sos p. IN. the house adjourned uh-
til tomorrow, when, according to gen
eral understanding, decision VIII De
reached to meet thereafter at III CLOCK
and remain in session until p M,
when a recess will be taken until
y. IN. The debate to continue three
hours at night
During the debate today Mr.. Crum-
packer of Indiana discussed the tariff.
Charging that the Payne tariff bill
lis deliberate betrayal of the Ameri-
can people" and that lit is fresh illus
tration of the perfdy of the Republi-
can party Mr. Sheppard of Texas Bit
terly attacked the measure.
Amusing, indeed, were the ponder
GUS assurances of Mr.. Taft that the
Republican party would revise the tariff
downward" he said His volcanic
predecessor realized the hopelessness of
such a proposition and evaded 1t to the
last. Is it possible that the complacent
Mr. Taft will stand where the bifocal
wind that recently swept from Wash
ington to Oyster Bay failed utterly.
say to you there is more real power in
one five-cent cigar between the iron
lips of Joseph G. Cannon, the stand
patter, than in the big stick of whole
regiment of Roosevelts and Tafts."
Says Payne Bill Is Not Sincere
Mr.. Sheppard said the Payne bill was
in no way a sincere and enactable re-
vision of the tariff, and asserted that
it was a declaration of commercial war
with all the world.
Mr. Hale of Ohio made plea for bet
ter protection for the wool industry
than is provided in the Payne bill.
In his maiden speech as a member of
the house Mr.. Dies of Texas opposed
the tariff policy of the Republican par
ty. He maintained that the levying
of any tax not for the purpose of rails
ing revenues, to maintain the govern
ment or for temporary encourage
ment of the interests of the country
was an exploitation of taxpayers. Mr..
Dies in particular attacked the provis-
ions of the bill relating to farm i'm
plements.
Mr.. Custermann of Wisconsin OPP
posed the countervailing duty on oil,
which, he argued, had enabled the
stnt orl 10 call oil in
England at from to cents gallon
less than in the United States. He de-
clared he had received positive assur-
ance that that feature of the Dingley
bill would be omitted from the Payne
bill.
But" he said, holding up copy of
the measure, there is the little joker
standing before me in all its wicked
ness, ready to take at least SIS 200, 900
out of the pockets of our people and
add it to the vast profits of the greatest
trust on EARTH"
Producers Need Duty
While asserting. that he was not de-
Tending the Standard Oil company, Mr..
Smith of California said it had no adj
vantage over others in the refining of
oil The trouble, he said, was in the
transportation of oil. He contended
that if others could get the same price
as the Standard as to transportation
they could distribute oil, and, in fact.
We're distributing it. He argued that
the production of crude oil in the
United States was the business of the
comparatively small capitalist. The
producers, he declared needed the duty
in order that they might realize a
fair profit. Indeed, he said, if the
Standard Oil company were represent
ed on the floor of the house and had
the 5decision of the question it would
strike out the provision with reference
to the counteryailing duty. Not Rus
STA, but Mexico. he said, was the COM
petitor of the United States, and Mex
leo was the place where the Standard
would go to buy oil if the duty we're
taken off and leave the American pro-
Queer with his wells shut down.
Mr.. Vreeland of New York said that
to some extent he was responsible for
retaining the oil duty in the Payne
bill.
81 did it," he declared, "in response
to requests of thousands of men in my
district engaged in producing oil. RI
did it in behalf of 100000 citizens en-
gagged in producing oil every day i'm the
year. | did not do it in behalf of the
Standard Oil company"
The bill was then laid aside and the
house adjourned.
HANe nNnrA pInn NANrnNrH