The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-26
HURRY UP DAY IN SENATE DEBATE Corporation Tax VIII Soon Be Taken Up Actively SPEECHES ARE RESTRICTED Discussion in Senate Is Strictly Busi- ness and Schedules Are Handled
 Rapidly and Without
 Pickering.
SPEECHES ARE RESTRICTED

Washington, June 25.-Thls was another of the Senates active working days and by the time the session closed at o'clock so many schedules had been con- sidered and disposed of that MT. AL drich freely predicted that by tomorrow night all of them would be out of the way leaving the Senate free to begin consideration of the corporation tax and income tax amendments at the com mencement of proceedings next week, and to follow these with the admnis- trative features of the bill.
 Beginning the days session with an increase. of the per cent over the House rate of S5 per cent ad yalorem on har- ness, the Senate marched steadily along throughout the nine hours of its sitting, indulging in very little speechmaking and acting on many important provisions. Among the changes made were:
 An increase of the duty on scrap iron from 50 cents to s2.5 per ton, thus pac- ing 1t on the same level as pig iron; an increase of one-quarter cent a pound over the House rates on wire nails; an increase of from 4 to cents per pound , on menazite sand and thorite and other articles used in the manufacture of gas mantles and the substitution of specific for advalorem rates on files, rasps, etc. Toward the close or the day Senator Penrose, of the finance committee, but not specifically for the committed pre- scented an amendment fixing duty of half a cent per gallon on crude oil and after considerable debate it was agreed to.
 1a fba 1iro ogI cloth schedule was recast so as to ap- parently meet the demands of the insur- gents and was adopted with the under 1 standing that if 1t should not be satis-
 factory on inspection in the record that
 schedule could be reopened tomorrow.
 Protection Gone Mad.
 The principal debate of the day was
 on the petroleum, linoleum and scrap iron
 provisions. Speaking of the Erovision for
 a high rate on scrap ilan .br. Crawford | declared that it was "protection gone mad"
 The provision was also criticised by
 Senators Cummings and Beveridge. It.
 however, found defenders in Senators
 Oliver, Dick and Aldrich. There were
 many efforts to amend the scrap iron
 provision, but 1t was adopted without change.
 ] Senator Penrose spoke at length in sup ' port of his oil amendment, declar- l ing that it met the approval of the independent producers and refners. The i oil fields of Mexico figured extensively in : this discussion. Senator Gore declared i that they were a myth
 Just before adjournment for the day | Senator Aldrich presented the corpora
 tion tax amendment approved by Presi- dent Taft. stating that he hoped the Sen | ate would be In a position to take 1t 1 up for consideration Monday.
 Adrch's Proposition. | Reverting to the metal schedule MT. 1 Aldrich proposed the committees amend ment increasing the duty on wrought and 1 scrap iron, etc., from 50 cents per ton as provided by the House, to $2.5O a ton to correspond with the duty on pig iron. Senator Gore criticised this amend ment and Senator Cummins offered a substitute for the amendment, striking from the paragraph all reference to wrought, cast and scrap iron and scrap metal
 The increased duty was defended by Senators Oliver, Dick and Aldrich. MT. Oliver suggested that ton of scrap iron was more valuable than ton of pig iron, and said that every ton would displace a ton of pig iron. MT. Aldrich declared that if the duty on scrap iron was low cred, pig iron would be broken up and brought into the country as scrap iron. Senator Dick suggested that in all tariffs scrap iron had been placed on parity with pig iron.
 This proposed increase of duty on scrap iron over the House rate,' declared MT. Crawford, lis protection gone mad. do not" he continued, want to go be- fore the people of the middle west and defend duty of $260 on old scrap iron" Mir. Aldrich suggested that when this paragraph was considered In conference | that would let into the country certain classes of scrap iron at lower rates than those of the pending schedule.
 Rate on Scrap Iron. MT. Beveridge asked the Rhode Island | senator If he would state the language 1 that defined scrap iron that could be en- | tered at lower rate, and not receiving the information desired, proceeded to sus- tain Mr. Cummins' contention. Referring | to the Indiana senator as counsel for | the senator from Iowa, MT. Aldrich called out protect from MT. Beyeridge. T will not endure and tolerate any longer offensive remarks to the effect | that I am acting as somebody's coun- | sel," said the Indiana senator. Mr. AL drich sat quiet and smiled.
 l The vote then being taken, MT. Cum mins' amendment striking all reference to scrap iron from the paragraph was de- feated 8 to 42. the progressive repub- lcans generally voting with the democrats in favor of the motion By 26 to @ the Senate then voted down an amendment by Mr. Cummns reducing from $250 to $1 50 the duty proposed by the committee on iron in pigs. scrap iron, steel, etc. The committee amendment and the entire paragraph were then adopted | By viva voce vote on the suggestion of the committee, the House duty of one quarter of 1 cent per pound on wire nails, not less than one inch in length was in creased to one-half of 1 cent pound. MT Bacon, asking the reason for this increase, MT. Aldrich replied that with out it the duty on wire from which the nails were made would be greater than on the nails.
 Then" suggested the Georgian, "why not reduce the duty on the wire and equalize them that way?"
 Mr. Aldrich then offered a further amendment increasing the House rates on wire nails less than one inch in length from one-half to three-quarters of cent pound, at the same time explaining that the rate of the present law Is cent pound On an aye and nay vote all of the increases of duty on wire nails were agreed to-n to 8.