Evening star., 1913-11-26
SAYS TARIFF LAW
HAS BEEN FAILURE
Representative Austin Wants
House to Investigate Demo-
cratic Measure.
REQUEST CALLS FORTH
LAUGHTER AND CHAGRIN
Dominant Party, Of Course, Blocks
His Game, But Republicans
Show Great 0lee.

Show Great 0lee.
Amid laughter from the republicans and
frowns Of chagrin from the democrats.
Representative Austin, republican. of
Tennessee today succeeded In having read
from the platform OF the House reso-
luton directing the Speaker to appoint q
committee to investigate the palpable
failure OF the Underwood Wilson tariff
law to fulfill the promises of the demo-
cratic party and reduce the cost OF liv-
ing"
The Austin resolution, of course, was
blocked Immediately. but coming as 1t did
at the psychological moment when trust
investigations are in the wind and with
the Department Of Justice probing about
to find the truth concerning the alleged
egg and cold storage warehouse COM
bine, the piece Of strategy which Mr..
Austin displayed was gleefully accepted
by the republicans and frowned upon
by his opponents.
The resolution declares:
Contents Of the Resolution.
'The democratic party's platform
adopted at the Baltimore convention July,
1912. charged explicitly that the "ex-
resulted in large measure from the
protective tariff law enacted and main
Wilson tariff law is now in force: and
whereas ahe Attorney General has an
nounced his intention to investigate
the present high cost Of living and the
combination of dealers in fOodstuffs
and cold-storage operators. nOtwith-
standing the fact that the Underwood
Wilson tariff law is now In force: and
whereas such action by the Attorney
General is virtual admission that the
high cost of living in the United States
acted by the republican party;
BE 1t resolved, That the Speaker OF the
House be authorized to appoint q special
committee of ten members to investigate
the reasons for the palpable failure Of
the Underwood Wilson tariff law to full
fill the promises of the democratic party
and to reduce the cost of living, and to
extend an apology to the republican party
and the American people whose votes
established President Wilson's so-called
new freedom"
Would Have Blocked Resolution.
Representative Johnson Of Kentucky.
erstwhile leader of the democrats. would
have objected when Representative
Austin offered the resolution.
What is it about?" he said.
1.-The high cost Of living" said Rep
resentative Austin.
Lets hear it," demanded Represent
ative Hardwick of Georgia.
The republicans began to laugh as
soon as the clerk began to read Rep
clerk had finished. characterized the
resolution as being filled with tnac-
curacies. and made objection to It's fur
ther consideration. -.
Wants Beef Situation ProbAd.
Congressional activity aimed at bring
ing cold storage warehouse barons and
egg combine manipulators to the bar of
justice was centered today on the effort
of Representative Britten of Chicago to
bring about an immediate investigation OF
the beef situation. The particular phase
which Representative Britten emphasizes
in his resolution of inquiry is the fact
that the Navy Department recently
bought 10000 pounds Of Argentine and
Australian beef in open competition and
paid less for it than 1t can be bought by
householderS.
..The prices of meats Of all kinds have
so advanced as to be practically pro-
hibitive to the majority of American
workmen," says the resolution, which
asks that the judiciary committee
which is about to begin an antitrust
campaign shall ascertain whether any
cuOFI lS UeiH6 ny Tic tIuSl "
control the Australian and Argentine
markets.
Representative Britten calls attention
to the fact that the leading promise
made by the democrats was that their
tariff acts would reduce prices.
Price of Food Advancing.
what are the facts?' he asked today
For nine months democrats have been
in control of national affairs. For two
months we have had in operation q
tariff bill which is the nearest approach
to free trade the democrats have dared
to offer, and yet from election day to
the present hour the prices on food have
been advancing and are now higher than
| at any time during the past twenty-five
years.
freight it does not cost 1 cent to import
cattle into the United States from any
country in the world.
Yet has the price of beef. declined? ~
Possibly the time Is not ripe for peo-
pie to discover that the tariff has little
II anything to do with the high cost Of
living, and that the promises of the
democrats were merely vehicles on which
to ride into power.
Beef Now a Luxury.
Il want to know why good. red Ameri-
can beef has attained so prohibitive
price that it Ia now a luxury instead Of an
article OF daily diet for the majority OF
the families Of the laboring man.
THE time has come with this Navy
Department contract in open competi-
ton. to ind out where the trouble lies.
II there's SO much free beef-why not a
lower price when 1t comes to buying it?
The lowest American beef price on this
navy contract was 23.31 cents a pound.
The Australian price was 1887 cents a
pound. II the navy can enjoy this bene-
mt by buying from foreign countries
want to know why the American public
Is not entitled to the same opportunity
"A large sum Of money has been given
tho judiciary committee to probe the beef
trust Ny resolution reminds them that
there Is no time like the present"
Says Chicago Packers Control.
Attorney General McReynolds conferred
today with Representative Mcclellan, au-