Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-02
TARIFF BILL UPHELD
|. BY SENATOR WALSH
Declares Free Wool, Flax and
Other Products viii Not ]
Ruin His State. III
GIVES HIS ENDORSEMENT
TO THE ENTIRE MEASURE
Speech in Senate Largely Reply to
Senator McCumber Of
North Dakota.


democrats whose position on the FREQ
wool policy Of the tariff bill had been the
subject OF some speculation In the Sem
ate, In a speech today gave emphatic in
dorsement to the entire tariff measure.
He declared that the wool. sugar. fax
and other interests OF his state would not
be ruined by the legislation, as had
been predicted by republican senators
from the west
Senator Walsh has hitherto been count
ed as one Of the Democrats who would
strongly oppose some or the reductions
in the tariff duties affecting farm prod
ucts, particularly the provisions OF the
bill which would place wool on the free
list and make sugar free at the end or
three years. He announced several weeks
ago that he believed a revenue tarif on
the democrats. and that TO do otherwise
would be to break ante-election promises
to the people OF Montana. During the
democratic caucus he fought for duty
on raw WOOL He has, however. appar-
entity accepted the decision of the party
caucus in this matter.
Senator Walsh's speech was lar gely
reply to the arguments made by Senator
McCumber OF North Dakota, who pre-.
dicted great disaster to the farmers Of
the country X the democratic agricultural
schedule was put into effect.
Farm Conditions Improved.
Taking up farm conditions In his own
state, Senator Walsh declared that they
had improved rapidly In recent years. and
that the increases In the wheat, barley.
oat and haxseed crops had been enor-
nous. Farming pays In Montana, he said.
as il shown by the large amount of set
tiers going there each year to enter upon
4 farming career These settlers. he SAID.
do not entertain the fears OF senator NC
Cumber that ruin will follow the demo-
cratic tariff bill
AS a proof that the farmers are not ex-
cited over the pending tariff bill Senator
Welsh quoted Senator Crawford state
ment before the lobby investigating COM
mjttee to the effect that no one from
South Dakota had appeared to protest
farmers seemed to be taking little inter-
est In II.
The cause Of this attitude on the part
of the farmers, Senator Walsh declared,
was the fact the democrats were makins
a general revision OF the tarin bill, low-
ering duties upon many of the manufac-
tured articles which the farmer mas 70
buy, and thus cheapening the prices.
Senator Walsh defended the bill a. an
honest effort to meet expectations arous-
ed by the success of the democratic
party"
Replies to Senator McCumber.
Referring to Senator McCumber's state.
ment that the farmer should be assured
Of 81 40 a bushel for his wheat and -
for his fiaxseed, senator Walsh declared
that "any man can get rich In Montana
IL he gets 80 cents for his wheat and $i.2o
for his flax"
.sIn the general catastrophe in which
the northwestern farmer u to De IN
caily sees him." continued Senator
Walsh, "the sheep and wool raiser IL to
disappear utterly. That he may sur
vive has not entered into the calcuia-
ton of the senator at all. The tarin
never did increase the price Of WOOL TO
exceed from = to cents pound, &C.
cording to statements made by wool
THE risk of tariff legislation has been
used to bear prices to such an extent
during the last year that many well in
formed growers insist that prices are now
on a free wool basis"
Senator Walsh said that prices. how
ever. were about the average Tor the Last
than when he went into the business In
1908.
..The duty on wool has assumed an inn
portance politically out or all proporuoh
to the significance OF the INDUSTRY ny 'ne
economy of the nation" he concluded.
Would Hasten Tar1n Bill.
With the object Of more rapid progress
in the consideration Of the tariff bill SEN
ator Simmons, in charge OF the bill, today
asked Senator Gallinger, minority moor
leader, IL the republicans would object 10
meeting daily at IL O'Clock instead o, ~.
Senator Gallinger replied he would take
the matter up with republican senator's.
personally favoring the suggestion, but
being unable to speak for his colleagues.
Senator Robinson wanted the Senate to
meet at 10 am. hereafter. Senator Lewis
suggested night sessions.
When the tariff bill was taken up In
the Senate today the metal scheduie
was passed over with the consent OF
Chairman Simmons of the finance COM
mittee and other democrats because
Senators Penrose and Oliver of Penn
sylvania and Senator Lodge of Massa-
chusetts were out of the city. Ihey
are particularly interested I'm this
schedule and will return Monday. In
the meantime the Senate took up today
the wood and lumber schedule.
Senator Cummins of Iowa, who mas
framed substitute metal schedule
sive republicans, providing lower rates
than those advocated by the regular
said today that he would
not offer his amendment until consid-
as prepared by the finance committees
Republicans Delay Tariff Bill.
Delay. and then more delay. was the
fate of the tariff bill In the Senate yes
terday. Republican senators VINO re.
Gently threatened that unless some assur.
ance could be given that no atteHps
would be made to enact currency iegls-
lation at the present. the consideration
Of the tariff bill would be long Drawn
out, took leading part IN the oeoaie
which caused the delay. The senate al
vanced scarcely more than paragraph
ar two In the consideration OF the Oil.
Senator GaIlinger OF New Hampshire
wished to have the paragraph deains
with granite amended. and the duties IN
creased, but after q long discussion IN
which Senator La Toilette, progressive
republican, spoke against the Gainhses
amendment il was defeated by vote OF
~ to 10, a number OF the republicans
siding with the democrats.
Senator Smoot OF Utah asked the
Senate to return to q paragraph on lime.
passed over at his request several days
ago, and offered an amendment increas-
ing the duty from per cent to lIh per
cent. and placing countervainng outy
on II In addition. This the democrats
also defeated.
Most OF the manufacturers or the coune
try have ignored the lists OF questions
sent them by the Senate finance commit
tee in regard to their industries and the
probable effect upon them OF the demos
cratic tariff revision. Senator La Fol-
lette told the Senate that only s.xty-Eix
replies had been received TO the 100
.Aes, nF 0uosfioua mailed by the commit