Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-01
WOOL FIGHT OPENS
House Expects to Pass Re-
vision Bill Today.
RAMDELL OPENS DEBATE
Denounces Republican Protective
System, Praising Democratic Bill.
PAYNE LEADS OPPOSITION
Defends Work of Tariff Board, But
Kitchin Censures Body as
One Repudiated.

For the first time this session the House
today met at II o'clock. with the avowed
intention of passing the democratic wool
tariff revision bill before adjournment.
Under special agreement the time given
over to general debate was divided be-
tween Representatives Randell of Texas
and Kitchin of North Carolina, demo
Gratis, in support of the measure, and
Representative Payne of New York, rank
ing republican member of the ways and
means committee. in condemnation of it.
1t was first thought that the House
would adjourn Immediately after conven-
ing out of respect to the memory of the
late Senator Taylor of Tennessee. a num-
Der of conferences were held by the lead
ers. but IT was pointed out that the
Senate not being in session until o'clock,
the House could have no official knoWl-
edge of the Senate's bereavement. Event
ually II was decided that the condition
of public business compelled the passage
of the wool bill today. The only refer
ence to the death of Senator Taylor was
made by the chaplain in his morning
prayer.
Randell First Speaker.
Representative Randell was the first
speaker. He denounced the republican
protective system and said the proposed
democratic tariff revision was designed to
aid industry generally and not the Gin
terests'' alone.
Mr.. Payne spoke for an hour against
the democratic measure and for his sub
stitute bill. He attacked the information
on which the democratic revision was
made, declaring it to be fallacious and
without even the minuteSt shadow OF
fact
This bill that we will offer" he said,
referring to the minority measure, lis
based on the tariff boards report. That
report is such that any intelligent man
can understand it.
The tariff board found a stanch de-
fender in Mr.. Payne, who said its find
ings in the wool investigation were scien-
tifically correct and that the board was
entitled to all credit for Its work.
Arraigns Tariff Board.
Representative Kitchin scathingly ar
raigned both the board and the repub-
1ican substitute measure. He declared
the republican party never had raised
the cry to take the tariff out of politics
until 1910, when the American people
took them out of Congress-
President Taft was charged with hav-
ing .repudiated and spat upon" the
board when he ignored it's findings in
wood pulp and print paper manufacture
and in grain production in Canada, and
urged Congress to put these products
on the free list. The board Mr..
Kitchn added, was both inconsistent
and absurd"
Mr.. Kitchin charged in the House to-
day that Senators Smoot of Utah and
Warren of Wyoming had deliberately inn
posed on the tariff board, for the purpose
of maintaining the high tariff on wool.
Senator Warren, he said, was the great
est fiockmaster since the day of Abfa-
ham,
Cites Discrepancy.
"Tell me-" he shouted, how is it that
the sheep growers of Washington are able
to raise wool at one-twentieth of a cent
pound, while in Wyoming, according
to the tariff board, the cost per pound is
13 cents?''
Mr. Mondell replied that the grade of
wool raised in Wyoming could not be pro-
duced for less than Is cents.
And yet retorted Mr.. kitchin, amid
laughter this infallible tariff board
shaded that cost price just cents. The
gentleman's estimate discloses the beauty
of the system"
Cheers and prolonged outbursts of APP
plause marked the close of Mr.. Kitchin's
speech, republicans as we'll as democrats
him in the center aisle. 1t was some
time before order was restored. when the
House closed general debate and took
up the bill for amendments under the five
minute rule.