The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-05-20
TARIFF CLUB TO
FIGHT MONOPOLY
Senator Kenyon Would Put
Trust Goods on Free List.
ARMY OF LOBBYISTS BUSY
Pressure Being Brought to Bear on
Southern and Western Senators tc
Vote Against Wool and Cotton
Schedules In Underwood Bill.

Schedules In Underwood Bill.
Washington, May 20. = An amend
Senator Kenyon, proposed that wher
any corporation or concern is adjudg
ed a monopoly it's products shall auto
matically go on the free list.
Mr. Kenyon has hopes that the
finance committee may consider the
amendment favorably, but ii not he
will press it on the floor. The proposal
has almost unlimited possibilities for
oyerturning schedules.
The question of whether products
of concerns reorganized since the SUI.
preme court held them to be monopo-
lies might still be under monopolistic
control, also would enter into the ap'
plication OF the law should the Kenyon
amendment be incorporated.
Subcommittee of the finance com.
mittee plan 70 meet every day this
week to consider the wool, cotton, SUI.
gar and chemical schedules.
Senator Simmons, the chairman,
has called a meeting of the entire
finnce committee for today. A set OF
questions to manufacturers proposed
by Senator LaFollette are to be sent
out.
The recent clarion call of the tariff
lobbyists-'let the Office boy do the
work; come to Washington"-is hav,
ing results. Manufacturers are coming
to Washington in droves to fight the
Underwood tariff bill.
The precarious Democratic tariff ma
jority of two votes in the senate and
the wabbly condition of half a dozen
OF the senators who help to give that
majority have given the high tariff
lobbyists renewed hope.
There probably never was time in
the history of tariff legislation in this
country when there were so many
Legislative representatives" of the big
manufacturing Industries in Washing
ton as now.
Senator Tillman, of South Carolina,
discussing this situation, said:
This is going to be the hardest
fought tariff battle congress ever has
seen. Every possible influence will be
brought to bear on Democratic sena,
tors in an effort to make them vote
for higher rates of duty than those in
the Underwood bill"
Several southern senators are threat
ened with defeat in the popular cleo
tons in 1914 if they vate for the I'm
derwood bill without change. Fright
ened by the deep cuts in the cotton
schedule, the manufacturers of cotton
goods in Georgia and North Carolina
are writing frantic letters to the sena-
tors from those states urging them tc
insist on higher rates.
Senators Hoke Smith, of Georgia;
Overman, of North Carolina, and Eli
son d. Smith, of South Carolina. all
have to go before the people of their
respective states year from next No
vember and submit their right to hold
their seats to popular vote. They are
told that the southern cotton mills will
be hard hit by the Underwood bill and
that they cannot expect support from
the workers in these mills if they lose
their jobs or their wages are reduced
Similar pressure is being brought to
bear on the western senators with re-
gard to the wool schedule.
President Wilson and his chief lieu
tenants in the senate, while admitting
that the vote will be close, neverthe-
less are confident they will win out
and that the bill which Mr.. Underwood
put through the house will be passed
by the senate with only minor changes
Democratic members of the finance
committee do not expect that their
subcommittee will complete their
work on the bill by the end of another
week The Democratic leaders are
bending their energies to have the
tariff bill reported back to the senate
not later than June Is. They will feel
gratified if they can get the bill into
the senate at so early a date.
At least six weeks will be required
for debate in the senate. This would
carry the bill along until Aug. 1 as the
earliest possible date for its passage
by the senate.