Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-25

evening. when the House adjourned
for the Republicans to hold a sched-
uled caucus.
Washington, April pa tariff COM
mission with power to elicit Informal
ton, was urged; reasonable reduction
of any duty obviously excessive was
advocated and radical reductions not
founded on adequate information were
opposed in minority report presented
to the House, today, by Rep. Muir
dock of Kansas, the Progressive men,
Der of the ways and means commit
tee Mr.. Murdoch in his report assert
ed that if there had been wanting
proof of the necessity of a tariq COM
mission, the pending Democratic tariff
bill alone would supply it. He charged
that as a result of the methods usec
| in its preparation the few men who
drafted it ARE not warranted in feel
ling certainty as to its effects and most
of those who have endorsed it in eau
Gus as a party measure cannot have
|other than a superficial knowledge of
its provisions"
The Democratic revision, he said, had
been undertaken in defiance of univer-
sally popular demand that "the tariff
should be revised scientifically. a sched-
ule at time, upon data that is not ex-
parte. with full right of debate and
amendment without secrecy in caucus
or committee and without cloture in Con-
gress.'' Thus, he said, was repeated the
error which characterized the earlier
stages of the preparation of the Payne
Aldrich tariff act.
Mr.. Murdoch declared that the Demo-
cratic party has proposed tariff which
will be injurious to many Industries and
may be destructive to some
Under the guise of reducing the cost
of living he said, ''it may destroy the
very basis of our Industrial prosperity
Proposing and promising to cheaper the
food and clothing of the workingman, it
may taken from him the very means by
which he max earn his livelihood. Pro-
claiming In one statement that it is
cheapening the articles used by the farm
err. in the next statement it opens the
American market to foreign agricultural
and dairy products. .lff ses5s.
The Progressive party's position or
the tariff is distinct 1t does not be-
lievc in the Democratic position, which
proposes TO remove all protection ex-
cept that incidental to revenue. 1t does
not believe in the Republican position,
which proposes to keep the duties pro-
hibitive. 1t believes in a protective
tariff which shall euualize the condi-
tons of competition between the Unit
ed States and foreign countries both
for the farmer and the manufacturer
and which shall maintain for labor an
adequate standard of living. This
would be true competitive tariff. The
Progressive party would construct q
tariff bill, one schedule at time in
the open, free from the distortion of
designing interests and selfish pur-
poses
Representative Peters, Democrat, OF
Massachusetts,, declared the present
| Democratic control of the government
was the result of the failure of Re-
| publicans to revise the tariff in the
interest of the consumer. THE bill we
now bring in is the result of an hon.
est, conscientious effort to tighten the
burden of taxation PLACED on the
/ shoulders of the great mass of consum-
ers, the common people" he said.
Rep. Fordney, Republican, attacked
the sugar schedule.
The free sugar provision of this
lbill.' he said, was proposed with the
assistance of Frank C. Lowrey, press
lagent of the committee of wholesale
grocers, which has never held meet
ing and SO far as / can learn, all the
money expended by Lowrey in his
free sugar campaign was supplied by
August Spreckels, president of the
Federal Sugar Refining Co. of New
York
j Another Speckels, Rudolph. of Sar
Francisco, was one of the most ardent
supporters Of President Wilson during
the last campaign, financially and 9TH
erwise. Between Rudolph Spreckels
in San Francisco and August Spreckels
in New York, God help the sugar in
ductry."
The House attendance was depleted
by the departure of more than 100 rep.