The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-26
Republicans Through Floor Leader Mann Make Wig
 or0us Attack
BILL INTRODUCED
 BY MIR. UNDERWOOD
Acknowledges Measure Means Reduc- ton os $10, 0,OO0,000 on Revenues But Says Economies Will
 Make Up Deficit

Washington, April 25.-The demo- cratic free list bill, characterized by the republicans on the ways and means committee as political soothing syrup vas roughly handled in the House of Representatives this afternoon by It's enemies on the republican side Mr. Underwood, democratic chairman of the ways and means committee, introduced 1t into the House in an hours speech soon after the session convened. Then ft was left to the mercies of R Represen- fative Mann of Illinois, leader of the republican side, and things Mr. Mann said about it in the two hours he held the floor gave both sides of the House food for much debate and occasion for much comment and criticism. q
 MT. Mann declared the free list bill introduced by the democrats as the frst of their tariff measures was drawn iraccurately, indefinitely and with such general language that it might be stretched to include almost half of the imports on which the United States now collects tariff duties.
 The free list bill puts agricultural implements "of any kind and descrip- tion" on the free list. MT. Mann de- handed to know what agricultural im- plements would come under this provi- sion. He expressed the belief 1t could he stretched to include the free entry Of saws, axes, forks, garden hose, hay knives and almost everything else that farmer, horticulturist gardener or tiller of the soil ever used.
 Bill Is Inaccurate
 He said the bill was so drawn that it would admit free the leather from which the farmers shoes were made, hut would exclude that from which his Wife,s shoes were made. It put pre- mium on foreign l'.bor, he said. by per hitting these special kinds of leather Co come in free when they were partly n.ade up.
 In putting agricultural implements on theQfree list, MT. Mann said the demo- ciats would let the International Har- vester company dump into the United States implements it made with foreign labor ins factories in France, Germany Russia and Canada.
 The products will be sold here,' ne said, not at lower prices, but at the same price and yet the result would be that they would be made by foreign labor"
 The free list bill admits free farm. wagons and farm carts. Docs this mean wagon that has to be used on the farm2'i Mr.. Mann asked, '.or the kind that can be purchased and used in town ? Is the treasury department to follow up the wagons and see whether MT. Smith puts 1t on his farm or uses 1t in town?''
 Chairman Underwood and other demo- crats did not attempt to reply this aft ernoon to the general attack upon the bill made by MT. Mann. His criticism was directed against almost every sec- tion of the bill, not only because of tbe general language in which it was drawn and the doubtful construction thus left open. but also because, in many cases 1t excluded raw materials and let in the manufactured products free.
 Gardner Attacks Measure
 MT Gardner of Massachusetts attacked the measure and the democratic policy of promising to reduce the cost of liv. ing without reducing wages raid in the tinted States.' He asserted that in put- ting articles on the free list, the dem ocrats had discrimnated against the farmers and manufacturers of the nortsi- ern states, while leaving protective du- ties on tobacco, sugar, rice, oranges and other articles produced in the southern states.
 Adair of Indiana, Russell of Missouri and Adamson of Georgia, spoke In favor of the measure. MT. Adamson said after MT. Mann's attack upon the bill he had gone to Chairman Underwood to see if they, ought not to call a democratic caucus and fix up the measure, but that Mir Underwood had assured him the bill was all right.
 Chairman Underwood. in explaining the proposed free list in the House today, acknowledged that it would mean reduction in government reve- nues by at least $10,OO0,000 a year. He declared, however. that the reduction would be more than met by govern ment economies.
 This free list Is not offered as com pensation to the farmer for the produets of his that were put on the free list in the reciprocity bill," said MT. Under wood, "because we do not believe tho passage of the reciprocity bill will in any way affect the farmers income. One of the objects. of this bill is to remove from the protected list those Implements that the farmer uses in pro ducing hs crop The other purpose is to reduce the cost of living to tho masses by sputting their food products . on the free list.
 We propose to revise the tariff, schedule by schedule. That is, in our opinion, the only proper way to handle the tariff question In Congress-. The democratic party does not stand for wipng out the custom houses; we realize the expenses of the government may be borne by judicious system of duties."
 MT. Underwood charged the repub- licans with making the Payne tariff law so that 1t left a tariff tax on every thing that the farmer used, while re- ducing many of his protective duties. He declared that in putting hides on the free list, the republicans had put the benefits into the pockets of the boot and shoe manufacturers.