Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-01
Objects to Duty on Coal, Lumber, Iron
Ore and Oil.
NECESSITY FOR CONSERVATISM
Quotes Figures to Prove that These
Resources Are Being Exhausted.
SHOT Ar SOUTHERN DEMOCRATS
He Says senators from These
states Are Demanding More
Protection Than Old Line
Republicans.

WASHINGTON, April 3o-An extended
speech by Senator McCumber favoring free
lumber occupied several hours In the senate
today His remarks provoked an extended
controversy among advocates OF tariff
on lumber. Mr.. McCumber said while he
was a thorough protectionist, he would not
agree to a tariff on products such as coal,
Iron ore, lumber and oil, that are being
exhausted and cannot be replaced.
Senator Aldrich reported from the com
mittee on finance additional amendments T.
the tariff bill and the senate adopted a
motion made by him that until further
notice the senate shall meet at II O'Clock
daily.
Senator johnson of North Dakota made
his maiden speech In reply TO a statement
during the campaign by W. J. Bryan, who
he said. had been fooled by the counter
vaillng clause In the petroleum schedule
by which petroleum brought into this coun-
try pays tho duty levied on American oil
imported into Russia
II had to alt and take it then" be said.
referring 20 Mr.. Bryan's address, but to-
day Is my inning"
Mr. Johnson severely criticised Mr.. Bryan
as having been largely responsible for such
clause remaining in the Wilson bill,
speech of Mr.. McCumbcr.
mo resources of the country which when
once utilized. cannot be reproduced, and
wrieh are certain OF exhaustion in a com
raiativeiy few years, should be protected
egainst Importation" declared Senator Nc
Cumber OF North Dakota. a member of the
committee on finance. who followed Mr..
Johnson mo tariff" he added, should
bs levied upon iron. coal. oil or lumber, -
Except for these. he said. he was as strong
an advocate OF American protection as any
senator.
Mr.. AtcCumbcr said that tariff revision
this year is universally understood TO near
revision downward. lie asserted that lum-
ber needed no protection and that no other
Industry lad produced more rniuionaires 10,
the amount invested than the lumber I'm
dUstry.
Nj. McCumber added. however. that hI
believed on the whole that the bnl doe,
for the most par, meet the just demand,
Of the people"
he remarked that the southern demo
Gratis are making stronger appeals for pro
tectiou than the republicans of the ole
school, and Senator Tillman interrupted
him to say;
1--WE are getting so badly mixed that 1
is hard to tell the sheep from the goats
and am afraid that before we get througl
there won't he trough enough for all III,
hogs TO get their scrops."
senators BADLY Mixed.
Senator Tillman said some republican
members were making speeches In accord
anee with democratic principles while som,
democratic members were delivering eN
cellent republican speeches
Mr.. Tillman argued that the United
States can compete in the open market o
the world for steel rails and other stee
manufactures. ''yet Carnegie and schwat
and Corey and Gary and that crowd hav,
influence enough to have high rates of dut,
retained"
Mr.. McCumber replied that he would be
glad TO vote with Mr.. Tillman on any
schedule. the rates of which Mr.. Tnlmar
could prove we're higher than was neces
= sary to protect the difference in labor cos
in America and abroad
II deny that there Is any one policy tina
can make e-half Of tho American peopl,
rich and the other half poor" said Mr.
McCumher.
Mr.. Tillman had drawn a comparison be
tween the protection of infant industrie
and farmers feeding young pigs abou
weaving time and stopping the feed whei
there Is no longer any profit IN raisinj
them by that method Mr.. McCumber sug
gested that Mr.. Tillman would agree tina
'here is no way Of feeding a rdg so tina
&C side Is lean and the other fat. Mr.
teCumher declared that the senator from
Puth Carolina seemed 70 have an ide'
hai no one could be honest but himself
Mr.. Tillman took exception to this an,
appealed 60 his colleagues whether he wa
egotistical
Docs a hog ever get grown" Mr.. TIL
man asked Mr.. McCumber.
The senator from North Dakota refuse
TO answer this question
Necessity for Conservation.
MIR, McCumber presented statistical est
mates TO show that the coal OF the Unite,
states, at the present rate OF consumption
would last 100 years. iron 30 wears. lumbe
80 years and oil from ~ 20 90 years an,
maintained that the hest way to conserv
these supplies would be 10 Permit free i'm
portation OF such products.
Messrs Dixon Piles. Page and Gauinge
engaged the North Dakota senator In FIRE
quent discussions.
Pointing 10 the effort OF New Englan,
manufacturers to obtain free raw material
Mr.. McCumber disclaimed anv failure Z
appreciate the needs OF all industries. II
insisted that he would rot agree TO nrotec
any product which could not be produce
IN less than fifty years and under tina
rule lumber was barre1 ant