The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-01
REDUCTION IN LUMBER TARIFF. Rates Will Be Cut One-
 half. WILL AFFECT ALL GRADES Republican Members on Committed
 Reach Agreement. 0epub Members in House Are at Sea Regarding Proposition to Put
 Tarin Duty on Tea
 and Conee.
BY ALFRED J. sTOFER.

Washington. Feb. 2s.-(Special.)- From inforrAation which seems to be reliable at this writing. the Repub- lican members of the House Ways and Means Committee have tentatively at least agreed to place in the tarif bill a section reducing by ope-half the du- ties on all grades of lumber.
 The demand for this reduction Is re- ported to be very strong in the New England and Middle States. in the Gen. tral West and out on the Pacific Slope, regardless of the fact that in the lat ter section there Is considerable tim Der, and quite a large element in the business world is opposed to disturb = ing the present duties on lumber. It is said that lumber would be placed absolutely on the free list by the Re- publicans of the House were it not for opposition in the West from those who fear that if this Is done there will be a movement to put hides on the free list. The people of New England are Nsimply bowling for free hides. and so are many business men in New York and other States in which boots and shoes and general leather goods are manufactured in large quantities
 It Is authoritatively learned that eight of the Republican members of the Ways and Means Committee are now committed to the 50 per cent. re- duction on lumber. The talk is also that they would hearken unto the de- mand of the New England people for free lumber but the threat that is made by some of the Western Repub- licans that If this Is done, 1t will open the door for retaliation.
 To stand Together.
 There seems to be no doubt that the Republicans on the House Committee are going to stand together, and that by the time they are ready to call the ity members will have the measure whipped into the shape in which 1t will be reported to the House. They do not intend to permit the Democrats. of course, to have any hand in framing the measure. The latter will merely be invited to remain in their seats and hear the various schedules read, and they will have no power to even offer amendments which they think ought to be adopted.
 The letters which the Republican managers have received from the tum- Der dealers of Memphis and other trade centers in the South. do not appear to have made any serious impression upon the members of the Ways and Means Committee for 1t is we'll known that the trade in that section Is op- posed to the removal of any of the du- ties on the different grades of lum- ber, and particularly upon hard woods. The position taken by these Republi- cans in Congress is that even If lumber were placed on the free list, 1t would not hurt the Industry in the United States. It has been pointed out in the hearings before the committee that lumber importations are estimated at one and one-tenth of the amount mar keted annually in this country. and the Republicans contend that this Is such a small amount that it will do no harm They talk as if the lumber producers and dealers ought to be very well sat- isfed If half of the present duties are retained. .
 One important consideration with the House Republicans Is that in revising the schedules, they are compelled to arrange them so that sufficient reve- nue will be raised to meet the require ments of the Government. To do this and at the same time satisfy the big combinations pulling for duties that are practically prohibitive. Is a prob lem. And it Is the most worrying old thing imaginable. Undoubtedly the heaviest sort of pressure is being brought to bear upon the House Con- mittee to revise upward rather than