Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-05-05
Instead Of Hitting Trusts Il Will
Help Those Institutions.
Will Reduce Revenue and A.
ford No Relief to The People.
Foeht, Penn, Has Best Of Sims,
Tenn, In An Amusing Tilt.

Washington, May 4.--Not since the
Republican guns We're unlimbered
against the Democratic free list bill by
Minority Leader Mann, over a week
ago, has the debate in the House de-
Veloped such an attack on the measure
as was made today by Hill of Connee-
tieut, a Republican member of the
ways and means committee, and one of
the leading Republican advocates of
the Canadian reciprocity bill. Hill said
that the bill devised by the Democratic
leaders removing the tariff duties
from many food products and manu-
featured articles, was so crudely
drawn and so indefinite in its terms
that no estimate could be made of the
revenues it would cut off or the effect
it would have on business and COM
merce. He asserted that instead of &c.,
Oaa,oo0 reduction in revenue as the
Democrats expected, it might make a
reduction of $50,000000 and its effect
upon business would be to transfer
many fourishing industries to Europe.
You intended to hit the trusts. said
Hill 10 the Democrats, "you Will wake
vi to find that you have in fact helped
the trusts; taken away the revenues
ey into the pockets of the trusts, in
stead of into the pockets of the peo-
Pile whom you claim to be helping"
Hill explained that the International
Harvester Machine Co., the largest
sewing machine companies and other
great manufacturers would be able url-
der the Democratic bill to manufacture
parts of their machines cheaply abroad
md I,Nt,o 49, Tot 49, i q
assembled by cheap labor here Me-
chanics and skilled labor would suf-
fer loss of employment, he said.
He said that the Democratic bill
was so general in terms as to admit
almost anything free of duty. Wooden
goods, all kinds of wire, all sorts of
fabrics, zinc, lead, pig iron and a
number of other things he specifically
mentioned.
Hill particularly attacked the bill
for making many manufactured pro-
ducts free of duty. like shoes, har-
ness, saddlery. and the like, while it
left duty against the. raw materials
which American manufacturers have
to import. He said also that in at
tempting to make free of duty the
bagging used to wrap cotton bales,
the Democratic bill would let in free
the bagging used by the Fertilizer
Trust, the cement mills of the United
States Steel CO.. and by other mon
opolies, which would give no cores
ponding reductions in prices to con-
sumers.
Chairman Underwood of the ways
and means committee, INTERCEPTED that
HilPs whole argument was from the
standpoint of the American manu-
facturer, that its real purpose was
to Reduce prices and cost of liy-
ing for the American people,"
Hill said that the reductions would
IN almost every case be taken up by
the big corporations which control the
markets.
The speech was enlivened by many
Interruptions and much partisan COM
ment from both sides of the House.
Focht, Penn, also against the bill.
mad an amusing tilt with Sims Tenn.
who objected to Focht's statement
that the tariff debate in the extra
session was costing the country $4,000
minute. Sims said the expense to
the country would be the same.
whether the House were in session
or not
We didn't call the extra session"
retortea Focht. You had to make
your agreement with the White House
that you would pass the reciprocity
bin"
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