The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-11
METAL SCHEDULE is
BASIS OF HEARING
BEFORE COMMITTEE
CONTINUED from Page one)

that he was planning to take up the ques-
ton of the eight hour law state by state
and that he could not carry out that plan
if printing presses were put on the free
list
Germany's constant lowering near the
customs line, as serious competitor Of
the American industry. was the constant
source of complaint in today's testimony.
Representatives of the printing press, ma
chine tools, tinsel wire and other articles
told of the menace of German competi-
ton and several manufacturers COM
planned that foreign competitors were
quick to copy IN details all American inn
proved methods.
George W. Cook of Denver, represent
ing the zinc and lead industry of Colora-
do, asserted that putting zinc and lead on
the free list would result in closing 100
producing mines and concentration mills
| in % states. large number of witnesses
remain to be heard by the committee to-
morrow ON a variety of metal items.
| Confronted by contradictory testi-
mony during the consideration of the
chemical and earthen and glasSwares
| schedule, the committee today began
| the practice of requiring all witnesses
| to testify under oath. Hereafter ey-
| cry person who appears to advise the
committee what 1t ought to do and
how it would affect his interests, must
| give his views and couch his answers
under the solemnity of an oath ad-
| ministered by the clerk of the COM
| mittee. The beginning of this practice
was at the suggestion of Representa-
| tive James of Kentucky and the COM
mittee agreed to it by unanimous vote.
Underwood Bill Basis for Hearing
| The basis of the hearing was the
| Underwood metal revision bill passed
but vetoed during the last session of
Congress The tentative plan of the
committee is to follow ii very closely.
This, in a general way, is the plan
of the democratic leaders with respect
to all the tariff schedules covered by
separate bills which passed the House
and Senate at the last session of Con-
gress.
Tentative democratic plans base all
| rates on the value of the articles in
stead of the specific rates of the pres
ent Payne Aldrich tariff law, and would
put on the free list iron ore now 15
cents a ton. tungsten and zinc bear
ing ores, hoop or band iron, barbed
and all other wire fencing, horeshoes
and cash registers. The democrats have
expected by the Underwood bill to re-
duce the average duties on the articles
in that schedule by S5 per cent ad
NdioieHl ana declare the Scneuuie WOuiu
produce $11,477,640 revenue annually.
| Practically all members of the COM
mittee are sitting in the hearings. One
or the interested spectators is Repre-
sentative Garner OF Texas, unanimous
choice of the Texas delegation for rep
resentative of that section of the coun-
try on the committee Garner is ex
pected to be put on .the committee at
the outset and is watching the hear
ings from the bench with that end in
view.
The proposal to put printing presses
on the free list brought protest from
James f. Bennett, of New York, rep
| resenting a number of manufacturing
companies. He said the present tariff
should stand He challenged govern
ment statistics of the treasury and CEN
sus department about expectation of
printing presses and said when he went
to the New York custom house to ver-
ify the figures the officials there told
him they had to so by the manifests
and that they could not tell whether
packages were printing presses or
printing press appurtenances.
so far the business is concerned
Representative Palmer asked. ''the
printing press has monopoly2'
Yes, with one slight exception" wit
ness answered.
Tariff for Revenue Only
Mr.. Underwood told the witness the
democrats seeking a tariff for
revenue only and not to protect wa
tered profits adding there was no dis
position TO maintain tariff unless
| there was some revenue to the gov
ernment. The witness contended that
the business was being run on small
marginal basis
i Bennett, pressed for a suggestion as
to the pont of revision that the Amer
mar "a att
they would be willing to stand on %
/ per cent tariff. MIR. Bennett said the
tariff now in vogue really went to
slabor as it was less than the differen-
tial in the cost OF labor between the