The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-28
Running Fire Between Pro-
tectiOnists and Tariff
RevisiOnists
MOST STRENUOUS
FIGHT OF SESSION
Manufacturers Present Unbroken
Alignment Against Reduction of
Duty on Wooden Cloth-Raw
Wool Reduction Favored
TIE DAY IN coNeREss

THE DAY IN CONGRESS
SENATE: Legislative. executive
and judicial appropriation bill send
To conference with instructions to in
sist upon Senate amendment extending
life of commerce court to June 30
Resumed consideration of Lever ag-
ricultural extension bill.
Judiciary committee approved Nor
ris bill authorizing government to
seize imported merchandise controlled
by a trust
Shipping trust Investigating COM
mittee continues hearing with Presi-
dent Preston of United Fruit COM
pany testifying.
Passed bill substituting electrocu-
tion for hanging as capital punish
ment in District of Columbia.
Delegate Queson in speech denied
reports that Aguinaldo and other Fill
pino leaders were melting revolution
in Philippines
Adjourned at 451 p. M, until noon
tomorrow.
HOUSE: Convened at noon.
Considered District of Columbia leg
islation.
Hearing on revision of the woolen
schedule of tariff was begun by ways
and means committee.
Representative Berger introduced
resolution for investigation of condi-
tions in garment working industry in
New York
Appropriation of $4,000 for Pan
American scientific congress in Wash
ington urged before foreign affairs
committee
again.
Resumed consideration of rivers
and harbors appropriation bill.
Agreed to further conference with
Senate on Dillingham; immi-
grafton bill
Adjourned at 4:31 o. m until II a. IN.
tomorrow out of respect to the mem
ory of the late Representative Smith
of California.
Washington, January 27.-Protectionist'
ana tariff revisionists had a running fir,
In the House ways and means committe,
To-Day, which was continued tonight. Tn
wool tariff was the issue, and the man
ufacturers presented an almost unbroker
alignment against reduction Of duty OF
w olen cloth and ready made clothing
though favoring reduction of the duty OF
raw wool.
1t was the most strenuous fight made a
this session of Congress against the dem
ccratic plan for revision of the duties II
the coming extra session.
Your schedule has never been cut il
the memory of living men, suggested
Representative Palmer of Pennsylvania t,
o. M Stafford, president of Cleveland
enterprise. Mr.. Stafford contended tina
the tariff could be reduced In the even
the democratic party chose to take the re
sponsibility for a possible reduction O.
wages of the wooden mills employees. Th,
witness testified to s per cent dividend
from his mill last year and Representativ,
Harrison of New York suggested that j
was rather unbeeoming for him, in view
of the big profits of the industry, to holt
cut threat of wage reduction.
Urge 20 Per Cent Ad Val0rem
Through William Goldman OF New York
its president, the National Association oi
Clothiers declared that while free WOO
was desirable. 1t was too revolutionary
ane it indorsed the proposed democratic
rate of 20 per cent ad valorem on ra.
wool.
The National Association of Manufac.
turers, comprising 100 of the wooden mills
pf the country, through its president, Johr
r. Wood of Philadelphia, presented q
schedule of rates as suggestive propo-
s'tIon, but Mr.. Wood admitted that the
schedule was approximately the same as
the present tariff law.
The committee showed no signs in this
examination of changing its tentative
pan for revised wooden schedule along
the lines of the democratic bills of the two
previous sessions Of this Congress, which
provided for 20 per cent advalorem on
raw wool and from 30 to 50 per cent on
ready made clothing and other articles.
Expect Some Schedule
General expectation among House DEM
oerats is that the committee will report
at the outset of the session practically the
same wooden schedule as was Incorporated
in the wool bill that passed the House
at the first and second sessions Of this
Congress. 1t was amended hi the Senate
last summer and again compromised in
conference. Subsequently it was vetoed
by President TG. The average ad-
valorem duty of the schedule in the pres
er,t law is almost 60 per cent. The demo-
cratic bill that serves as the tentative
basis of the present consideration, pro-
yides very much lower duties. 1t would
tax raw wool 20 per cent ad valorem.
Instead of the higher varying rates on
three classifcations in the present act. 1t
would put an ad valorem duty of 20 per
cent also on wool wastes and rags. 70
rcr cent on wool tops. 80 per cent on yarns
ms well as blankets and the cheaper fan
lels for underwear. and rates ranging
from IS to 80 per cent on clothes, ready
made clothing. knit fabrics. fiannels not
for underwear, women's dress goods,
vebblncs. gorings and articles not other
wise provided for.
AS compromised in conference be-
tween the two houses last August, the
d,,tv on raw wool was shifted from the
proposed 20 to 20 per cent ad valorem.
which President Taft in his second veto
declared was insufficient TO meet the
difference in the cost OF production of
the low priced woods here and abroad
in the case of four fifths of the total
wool clip in this country His conten-
ton was that the minimum ad valorem
sbould be 35 per cent and that the
nrooosed lower rates would throw
thousands of workmen out of employ
ment. The democrats still contending
that the proposed ra tes approach the
best revenue producing points say 1t
would encourages production and con-
sumption but themselves overrode the
resolution in the House.
They failed of the necessary wo-thirds
vote in the Senate. The witnesses rep
resented wool manufacturers, wool
growers. importers, clothiers and inde-