The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-08
PAYNE CLASHES
 WITH UNDERWOOD Two Political Leaders Have
 Bitter Debate PAYNE LAW ATTACKED
Underwood Charges In House Wool Debate That Payne Tariff Law is Failure and Treasury is
 Near a Deficit

!, Washington, June 7.-Bitterness of po- litica debate such as has not charac- terized any of the opening tariff slxir- mishes of the present session of Con gress cropped out in the beginning of the wool tariff discussion in the House to- day. Democratic Leader Underwood de- l voted the afternon to an explanation of | the proposed revision of the wool tariff and to an attack upon the Payne tariff
 law and the republican party. He was met at almost every stage of his argu- ment by replies from former Chairman Payne, now the ranking republican of the ways and means committee, and by | other republicans who question his state- | ments. MT. Payne denied vigorously the democratic charge that the Payne law had not fulfilled republican promises of tariff revision and he criticised in de- tail Mir Underwood's statement that the country's revenue was declining and the treasury approaching deficit.
 Mr. Payne will lead the opposition to the democratic bill, and probably will make the opening speech tomorrow. No | limit has been set to the debate, and l notwithstanding MT. Underwood's hope that 1t can be concluded in week, it is expected 10 last we'll into, if not through, | the second week.
 l Mir. Underwood declared the American | Woolen company has dictated the action | of the republican Congress on the wool tariff
 1 Prices Are Fixed | There is nobody in this country who does not know that the American Woolen | company today fixes the price," said MT. | Tp1 d.. Y, f 1t is a trust. and that that industry and that company dictated to republican House when they prohibited you from re- | dGcing the exorbitant rates under sched- ule K in the last Congress" | Paying his respects to the present tariff | board MT. Underwood said that if that body went on for 10 years as 1t is going at present, we would not get enough in- formation on the wool schedule to write tariff bill.''
 He said he was convinced that no tariff board appointed by the President, even though 1t were permanent board with wide powers, would work satisfactorily
 While not questioning the sincerity or | honesty of purpose of President Taft" ! MT Underwood said he was convinced that either the board refused to give up facts we called for, even with the Presi- dents sanction, or else the board has wasted S250,000 in it's work
 
 1 MT. Longworth challenged the state ment of MT. Underwod that the board | had been working on the wool tariff for IS
 months. He expressed the belief that it had taken up the wool question only a | few months ago. 1 Representative Underwood, the dem ocra tic leader and author of the bill, called the measure up when the House met and made the opening address. laying stress on the arguments em- bodied In the majority committee re- port introduced yesterday. This re- port criticised the President for not | objecting to the wool schedules of the Payne Aldrich bill until after 1t had been passed and charged that the tariff board is withholding data | from Congress on It's inquiry into the woolen goods field
 I Representative Mann. the minority leader, and Mir. Payne, former chair of the ways and means committee, were prepared to conduct the opposi- | ton to the bill.
 | Ar the outset of his argument in I opening the debate on the bill reducing duties on wool, Representative Under wood worked up to a high pitch of l excitement several of the prominent republicans. including the author of the Payne bill. The Alabamian, in fact, poured out so many hot shots l that MT. Payne came near losing his temper What appeared to especially arouse Mir. Payne was the scoring MT. | Underwood gave the operations of the present tariff law and the figures he submitted showing that the wool sched- ule perhaps more than any other need ed revision now proposed by the dent ocrats.
 Payne Confused
 MT. Payne kept interrupting and grew red in the face when MT. Under wood read treasury statements, quoted President Taft's strict,lres upon the wool schedule and asasiled generally l its provisions and it's failure to pro- I duce the necessary revenue.
 l Payne disputed certain figures and insisted they were false.
 I'll not fall out with the gentleman from New York; good naturedly ans Wered the Alabamian. "The country has rendered it's verdict on the Payne blli Amid thunderous applause on the democratic side, which lasted some l time. MT. Payne kept shouting across the aisle, but his words failed to reach the galleries. such was the confusion When MT. Payne had almost exhaust l ed himself, MT. Underwood said slowly, solemnly and feelingly. "Pm not going to fall out with the gentle man from New York, because his ia : vorite child is dying today" W | The Alabama congressman, during the first hour of the debate, stirred up the House republicans and aroused un- usual enthusiasm on the democratic | side of the hall