The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-05-29
BETTER l|Il; R,[[ AR![ ! rEBB! BILL
BEvERIDGE OPTNfIST, SAYING THAT INSURGENTS WILL

BY ellison Gardner.

WASHINGTON, d. c., May 20.
II am still hopeful for revision
downward. The tariff bill, when
completed, will be much better
than it is now-better than peo-
pie expect. The fight isn't over by
any MEANS"
This from Senator Beverage,
one of the men who is assailing
the tariff schedules in the senate,
trying to lower the high wallis of
protective duties. He Is cheerful.
optimistic.
"The bill will come to a vote by
June s." he predicted.
.If," he added, ''if there are
some more concessions by Aldrich
and company. And l think there
will be-"
"What do you base your hopes
on?"
"On the concessions they have
already made-concessions which
the so-called insurgents have al
ready forced. The finance COM
mittee has had to grant conees-
sions on wire and steel, on white
lead, on carbons for electric light
purposes, on window glass and
lead ore.
''Before we get through we will
have q bill which provides for free
hides, dollar duty on humber,
free iron ore, free scrap iron, and
possibly free OIL In the final
measure 1 expect to find all the
tariff reductions which have been
made in the senate and the house,
Senator Beveridge is on the
firing line in the battle of the tar
iff. Like all men who are against
the old rulers, he is surrounded
by assailants and attacked bitterly
for his advocacy Of low prices for
the consumer.
While / was talking with him a
messenger dashed in with a tele-
gram. The young Indiana sena-
tor took it in at glance and
handed 1t to me.
Senator" 1t read, don't you
think it would be well in the in
terest of the return of business
prosperity to expedite the tariff
measure in all possible ways?"
The signature was that of the
president of big manufacturing
concern.
I'VE get dozens of those every
day-all of us. It's a regular
propaganda from Wall ST., or, at
least, New York. Here"-he
broke off suddenly, and called his
stenographer, take this tele-
gram"
Don't you think tariff matter
will be best expedited" he dictat-
ed, "by a settlement SO reason
able and fair that the subject will
stay settled, instead of coming up
again in two or four years for5an-
other settlement? Answer.-Bev-
eridge."
'.Send it collect" he added.
do you hear from the other
side, too?" I asked.
1.-THE people? Yes, a hundred
letters a day, urging me to stay
with the fight, that they are with
me. It is a great help"
Senator Beveridge has intro
iuced an amendment to the Payne
bill, directed at the tobacco trust.
During the Spanish war the tobac-
20 concerns were allowed to reduce
he size OF the packages, as part
If the public's contribution to thel
var fund. After the war, they
Kept using the smaller packages.
rhe government has lost 1884,
300, 900 in duties through this.
senator Beveridge's amendment
stops this leak. and adds 800
300, 900 in revenues to the treas
Iry.
"You stated IN your speech that
he tobacco trust lobbyists would
e in Washington within "a hours
lfter you introduced the amend
nent," / suggested.
"They are here already" he re-
lied grimly. II got word just a
minute ago that one Of their agents