The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-06-02
Sixth District Representative
Excused from a Pledge to
Support so Per Cent Tariff
on Wool.
OBJECT OF ACTION
CAUSING DISPUTES
Some Say It's His Aversion
to Caucuses, Others, He Is
a Free Trader; Others, He
Is Bryan Man.

SoA6iSosHdu Ciuiy SIdA. VI THO
Sixth Indiana district bucked the de-
cision of the Democratic caucus Thurs
day to support the Underwood mea-
sure providing tariff of 90 per cent
cn woos. He. with five other Demo-
cratic representatives was excused
from a pledge to support the caucus
action.
Whether Representative Gray has
been converted to Bryan's free wool"
idea; whether he is free trader
or whether he is following up the stand
he took when he was first sworn into
office, not to be bound by caucus ac-
ton, Is matter of speculation
A Washington dispatch appearing in
the morning papers states Gray made
up his mind after considering Bryan's
objections to wool tariff that 1t was
his duty to vote for free wool The
other five who voted in the negative
were opposed to the bill because they
did not regard the 20 per cent duty az
high enough.
Many Refute This.
Some Democrats here will not ac-
cept this explanation of Gray's action
in boiling the caucus. They say that
the stand he took was only consistent
with his decision not to be bound by
caucus actions. To support their
contention they refer to the Gray
platform which was published in the
Palladium last December. and which
he has strictly abided by since taking
office. The section of the platform
| they refer to Is as follows
Il am more in favor of love feast
to compare notes and exchange fra
ternal greetings than l am of party
| caucus to determine upon policy of
| Legislation. It should not be necessary
for successful candidates to hold a
caucus after the election in order to
| find out what they had promised the
| people before election
Is He Free Trader7
On the other hand Rep. Gray might
| be regarded as a free trader. Those
| who take this view of his action Thurs
day, to support their opinion, also re-
fer to paragraph in the Gray Plat
form, which reads as follows:
THE tariff should be revised down
ward without delay. with objects In
view in the order Of their importance,
as follows:
| First, to limit taxation to the needp
| of the government economically ad-
ministered
Second, to impose the lightest bur-
| den on the necessaries OF life and the
heaviest on luxuries.
| Third, to reduce the rates on trust
controlled articles, to precent mono
poly and restore competition.
BurIeson Brings Up Bill.
| The wool bill was laid before the
caucus by Representative Burleson.
1t was the first intimation the ma
jority of the members had been given
of it's exact terms. Chairman Under
wood undertook an exhaustive ex-
PLANTATION of the measure.
Mr.. Underwood declared the duties
collected last year on raw wool
amounted to $21 900 900. The reduc-
ton of the raw wool duty to 20 per
cent, as proposed, would cut these du-
ties. he said to $13,39S, 900. even un-
der a greatly stimulated import trade.
/ To reduce these duties further would
be impracticable at this time. he add
ed, even had the committee desired to
! do so.
New Duties and the Old.
The new duties, together with the
present duties. as figured on an ad
valorean basis by Chairman Under.
wood, are as follows:
/ Raw wool, proposed duty, 90 per
cent: existing duty 44.51 per cent.
NoiIs, waste, shoddies. etc, proposed
duty. 20 per cent; existing duty 1886
per cent.
/. Ccmbed wool or tops, proposed duty.
| % per cent, existing duty. 105.19 per
cent
4 Yarns made wholly or in part Of
wool. proposed duty, 30 per cent; ex-
isting duty e23S per cent.
Cloths, knit fabrics, and all manu-.
| features OF wool, proposed duty, 40
per cent: existing duty, 97.11 per cent.
| Blankets and flannels. proposed dn-
/ ty, 80 per cent when valued at less
than so cents pound, As per cent
when valued at more than so cents q