The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1912-03-15
UNDERWOOD LOSING
SUPPORT AND FREE
WOOL NOW PROBABLE
HIS REVENUE PLAN APPEARS TO
BE UNPOPULAR WITH
CONGRESS.
THREE Committeeman FOR IT
Probe of American Wooden Company
Having Its Influence In the Fates
of BilI-Some Anxiety as to the
Effect.

GICCts
WASHINGTON, Mar 1.-THE prob.
ability that free wool will be a fea-
ture of the democratic tariff bill
grows stronger each day.
AL investigation of the American
Wooden Company is to be ordered by
the house of representatives as a re-
suit of the testimony before the
house committee in the Lawrence
strike While this is in progress
the ways and means committee, now
hopelessly split on the subject of free
wool or revenue duty on wool, will
mark time and try to--get together.
Chairman Underwood, it is claim
ed, has lost control of the democrats
on the committee under him. He has
but three supporters, it is said. for
his plan CT scent revenue duty on
wool-Dixon, of Indiana, Brantley, Of
Georgia, and Hammond, of Minneso-
ia. Members of the committee op-
posing Underwood say that free wool
means loss of but $20,OOO,OO0 in rev.
nues This, they claim can be made
up by increased duties on rubber and
i silk importatlcns. 1t is their plan to
attach these schedules to the wool
schedule when the latter shall be pre-
scented to the house.
William Jennings Bryan's political
nand can be seen by members of the
house in the move to investigate the
American Wooden Co and in the di.
vision of the ways and means com.
mittee on the question of duty or no
duty on wool Mr.. Bryan is for free
raw wool. He had his first fight with
Underwood year ago on this sub
ject. Underwood then stood for
revenue duty of cents per pound,
OF 20 per cent ad valorem on wool.
He holds the same position today.
6ryan then wrote to his friends urg-
ing Tree raw WOOL The committee
stood 8 to with Bryan Underwood
brought the committee to his point of
view by his argument of the need of
revenue and a democratic caucus sus-
tanned him. The friends of Mr.. Bry-
an are having their inning now, and
Mr.. Underwood is fighting his battle
over again
Democratic leaders who are oppos-
ing free raw wool fear its effect po-
litically on Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and
all the Middle West and in the Rocky
Mountain states, where sheep are
raised for wool.
The probe into the American Wool
en- Co. is to be searching. 1t will go
back to the organization of this COM
pany now called trust, and will
take up the connection with it of for
mer Senator Nelson w. Aldrich, of
Rhode Island who stood in the SEN
ate for years as its defender.
What committee shall make the tn
JURY is puzsling members OF the
rules committee. There is presented
the possible problem of the impcrta-
ton Of alien laborers in violation OF
the alien contract labor laws and
freedom of interstate commerce on
the one hand and on the other hand
recognized police rights Of the state. |
As an incident to the inquiry, the
Lawrence strike brings prominently
to the front the growth and strength
Of socialism which democrats and re-
publlcans dislike to exploit.
It is improbable that Mr.. Under
wood, who begins tomorrow the franz
ing of the wool schedule will be |
permitted to bring out his bill on
April 1, as he has promised. The
proposed investigation Of the Ameri- |
can Wooden Co. will delay action by |
the ways and means committee and |
developments may make converts for
or strengthen opposition to Mr.. I'm
derwOOd's argument for a revenue