The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-22
PERSONALITY GIVES
WEIGHT IN HOUSE
Often Secures Consent for Con-
sideration of Measure
TAX ON OLEOMARGARINE
Passed by influence of Farmers-Now
Labor Unions Want the Tax Re-
pealed-Navy VIII Make
Experiments
TAX ON OLEOMARGARINE
BY RoDERICK CLIFFORD

Washington, May 21.-(special Person
al popularity counts many points in the
scale of equation when it comes to Sc
curing consent of the House for the con-
sideration of measure of national inn
portance
1t is doubtful If any republican in the
House could have done what Representa-
tive James R. Mann of Illinois did in Sc
curing the adoption of a resolution by
the House, practically by unanimous con-
sent, by which the railroad bill was given
the right of way. For years the custom
has prevailed of requiring a special order
from the, committee on rules to bring up
in the House any measure not of a priv
LEGGED character while special orders al
ways required the crack of the party
whip. But in this instance Representa-
tive Mann, who is termed the treasury
Watchdog" did not go to the rules COM
mittee for any special order; he simply
appealed to the House, and to the sur
prise of every one secured the adoption
of resolution making the railroad bill
the special order without the slightest
cllOTt IL was d 8idCclul tflDuto 10 tno
personality of the member from Illinois.
1t is just "a years since Congress passed
the Hatch bill, levying a tax of cents
a pound on oleomargarine. The demand
for this legislation came from the farm
ers, and as the tillers of the soil were
practically united and made an organized
effort against oleo they were successful
in their fight for a tax on the substitute
for butter. Strange as it may seem, it
was a democratic House that passed the
Hatch bill, but it was largely a republic
can vote that carried the bill through
the House.
At that time the manufacture of oleo-
margarine was in its infancy and cotton
seed oil was then almost unknown as an
ingredient; but as the sale of oleomar-
garine increased with strides and bounds
the farmers of the country appealed to
Congress again, with the result that they
secured what is now known as the Crout
law, and Representative Hatch of Mis-
! souri,, the author of the original law, is
almost forgotten. Indeed. there are but
few members in the present House who
know anything of the history of oleo leg
islaton There are but three members
in the House today who voted for the
Hatch bill. They are Cannon, Bingham
and Payne.
The present high price of food products
has started an agitation for the repeal
of the tax on oleomargarine, and as 1t is
the labor unions that are behind the
movement a lively fight is anticipated.
These unions are sending in petitions
from every section of the country asking
for a repeal of the tax on oleo. while the
dairy interests are active working up Pc
titions from the farmers urging stricter
| legislation to regulate the sale of oleo-
margarine. and protesting against the re-
peal of the tax. In view of the stand
taken by the unions In this matter it Is
doubtful If the House committee on agri
culture can afford to ignore the labor Or
ganizations and refuse to report one OF
the bills to the House madifying the oleo
tax If the subject comes up at this ses-
sion an exceedingly lively debate may
follow, as the farmers and the labor un-
ions are factors in politics that cannot be
ignored.
The navy department will soon begin
making valuable experiments with out
side explosive shells, which, IL successful,
may cause a revolution In the construction
OIL WdTSHlpS. ncSe eAPCiihCItS dlc VI
dered by an amendment contained in the
naval appropriation BILL which was Of
fered by Representative Hobson of Ala
bama The amendment merely provided
that the appropriation for experiments in
armor piercing shells should include out
side explosive shells.
This amendment, however, was not
pleasing to certain officials in the navy
department who have constantly main
tained the arnor belt could be pierced
and ships destroyed by projecting shells
penetrating armor and exploding on the
inside, but strange to say there is no
record of any, such shells penetrating ar
NOR belt at battle ranges. Representa-
tive Hobson, who takes a deep pride in
the navy and wishes Uncle Sam to lead
the list says there can be no possible
excuse for the navy to longer postpone
experiments with outside explosive shells,
and 1t was only because the department
has delayed these important experiments
that he had the amendment placed in the
appropriation bill making 1t mandatory on
the department to take action.
The success Of the outside shell It Is
said, will save the government thousands
of dollars and perhaps do away with the
building Of further dreadnoughts
Representative Hobson regards the ex-
periments with the outside explosive
shells as of the utmost Importance, in
that II they are successful the govern
ment can have the benefit of them, while
IL they are failure, then the navy can
act accordingly. An effort is on foot to
have the experiments made in public.
Much comment has been INDUCED in by
the House insurgents who voted for the
Presidents railroad bill on it's final pas
sage, because of the fact that Speaker
Cannon did not avail himself of the OPP
portunity to vote for the bill for the effect
such vote might have on the progressives
In the Senate. The insurgents say the
failure of Uncle joe to vote for the
bill on it's passage convinces them that
the speaker is not in sympathy with the
Presidents legislative programme.
There is no rule that requires the
speaker to vote except when the vote is
a tie, but it is fact that last year Mr..
Cannon had the clerk call his name when
vote was had on the passage of the
tariff bill.