Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-11
BROWNON TARlFFON LUMBER
Senator Discusses Making Of Tariff
Schedule at Osoeola.
BURKETTs RECORD IS CLEAR
charge that He voted Against Free
Lumber f. Disputed by the
Roll Calls of the


OsCEoLA, oct Ex-senator Brown dis
cussed the tariff question here tonight lie
said in part.
"a general revision Of the tariff is a
most difficult undertaking The subject
covers about six thousand items, every ar
ticle Of commerce. 1t touches everything
in use by the people. No commodity is
exempt In congress there are ninety
two senators and about 400 representatives,
most Of them unacquainted with the de-
tails and facts underlying the subject, for
the tariff is not revised except periodically.
Yet the responsibility was upon these
men without exact and definite informa-
ton to ascertain the facts concerning each
article and to determine whether it should
bear a duty and how much or whether 1t
should come into this country free Of
duty. The committee in the house pre-
pared and introduced its bill, which was
debated for about three weeks. 1t passed
the house and came to the senate. 1t was
referred to the senate committee, which
in turn reported 1t back to the senate with
certain amendments In the senate II
was taken up and considered and debated
paragraph by paragraph.
Assuming that you were there and
that you know as little about 1t as the
great majority Of the senators you would
have realized not only the difficulties in
front Of you, but you would have under
stood how unsatisfactory to yourselves
even the job would be when completed.
You would have been compelled as we
were to rely in many respects on the
judgment and word of others. Isn't that
necessarily so? For example, remember
a number of senators who were in favor
Of lower duties got together from time to
time and exchanged information and views
on the subject. We had enough informa
ton with respect to some of them to be
convinced that the proposed duties were
too high. Naturally we divided the
schedules and went to work each covering
a particular field in addition. to general
investigation remember pulp and print
paper fell 10 me, and other schedules were
taken by other senators. 1t was under
stood that each of US should go out and
study his particular subject and bring the
facts in, present them to the senate and
get a roll cali on the proposition of lower
duties.
Burkett and Lumber Schedule.
Il remember Senator Burkett together
with Senator McCumber gave special at
tenton to lumber They both looked that
subject up thoroughly and brought in the
facts and laid them before the senate.
There were about 100 roll calls on the de-
bated and contested duties presented I'M
der the plan. There seemed to be no oh
lection to the duties fixed by the commit
tee on the other thousands of articles, at
least the committee rates aside from those
contested by roll call were agreed
to without dispute or division. On the
contested items the debate was exhaustive.
1 remember Senator Burkett and Senator
McCumber made extended speeches in
favor Of free lumber, and since the demo-
cratic press accuses Senator Burkett of
having been against FREQ admbetIr WIN
read to you the non cai in the senate
on that question. II may be found on
page 2435 Of the Congressional Record,
and is as follows: