El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-01-10
TARIFF HEARING
STILL UNDER WAY
Continued From Page /.

| QlIIerence IN the cost OF LABOR as the
wages Of American wOrkmen still are
too low.
He promised that if the tariff was
made sufficient to enable the workers
to maintain their organization they
would look after the wage question.
Want Cameras on Free List.
W. o. and G. c. Gennert of New
| York charged that a Photographic
| trust exists in this country and that
| seven-eighths of the business in every
! branch of that industry was controlled
| by the Eastman Kodak company.
He said putting cameras on the free
| list would be a benefit to everybody.
| Arthur W. Seweu of Philadelphia,
! representing the Barber Asphalt COM
| pany, asked that the duty on asphalt
| be removed.
dividends of 100 Percent.
c. NJ Wells, representing the Ameri-
| can Optical company, said his industry
| was not ready to meet competition from
| abroad on equal terms. He told of his
] company having dividends of 100 per-
| cent Mr.. Palmer suggested these
! dividends were "a pretty fair profit
/ and Mr.. Rainey inquired whether there
| struggle The witness said there
| were.
/ Charles [. Casey, of Cambridge. o.,
| representing an earthenWare company,
/ testified that foreign producers were
1 underselling American manufacturers.
shipping Agreement in Force.
/ That the agreement entered into by
| the LampOrt and Holt, the Prince and
/ the Hamburg-South American steam
/ ship companies, constituting the So
called shipping trust" between the
United States and South America stiII
\ is in force, except as II applles TO
/ pooling of interests and rebate system
/ on sOuthbOund commerce, was the tes-
timOny placed before the. house mer-
chant marine committee investigating
/ the alleged trust
The statement was in the form OF
a cable from the foreign agent of the
Prince line, who cabled the company
! representative here on the question 1t
did not agree with the opinion OF Lo-
reno Daniels, agent in this country
for the LampOrt & Holt company, who
said he thought 1t had terminated.
Rates Fixed by Contract.
Mr.. Daniels acknowledged that con-
tracts were made by his company and
and that some of the contracts were
made conformity with the other steam
ship lines fixing the freight rates
pOratiOn, the Baldwin Locomotive
company, the Singer Sewing Machine
company and the Barber Asphalt, com
pany were mentioned as having, or
having had, contracts The Singer
company. he said, agreed to ship all
its goods by boats of one of the three
Steamship Companies. He denied. how
ever, that this was equivalent to say
ing that they could not ship by any
As to the Steel corporation he said
the contracts were specific, not con
tinuing. The rates to be charged, ne
declared. were fixed abroad, not in New
York. The freight rates varied, he
said, from week to week, according to
the market: but he added that there
was no discrimination in favor Of any
shippers.
When letters were read from the
from other shippers declaring that
they had been Disseminated against in
rates, Mr.. Daniels vigorously denied it
oh h ~
line to Brazil Mr.. Daniels said the
company occasionally had asked per
mission to run into territory. now. COW
cred by one OF the three other lines.
He said they had been told 1t would
make no difference If it did not estab-
lfsh a precedent"
Did not the very act Of their ask
ing" inquired representative Hardy, Of
Texas, show there was an understand
ing2"
Il think not We have been doing
business side by side for years. We
would not enter one of their ports
without informing them of our desire
courtesy 1t does not mean that there
is an agreement"
Oral understanding to maintain rates
between the LampOrt and Holt line,
the Houston line, the Prince line, the
Harbor line and the Weir and BOyds
line, carrying commerce between New
York and Laplata, MOnteVIdeO, has eX-
listed since January, 1912, according to
testimony of Paul G. Gerhart, New
York, agent of the Prince line today.
His line, he further testified had an
other understanding with lines doing !
Africa In the Laplata trade he de- |
clared there were no rebates and no /
division of territory.
THE time was when we New York |
agents of the lines were permitted to |
make rates on certain articles" said /
Mr.. Gerhart. Now they are made in /
London"
When was that change nader
asked Representative Humphrey.
Il should say about two years ago"
Rate cutting is a most unfortunate i
position to be in replied Mr.. Ger /
hart. You can't run steamers unless |
on paying basis. You can't do it on /
a paying basis except you have an
understanding against cutting rates !
We have had some bitter experiences"
Freights Are Pooled.
William Z. Hahn, New York agent |
for the Houston line testified that /
London conference" controlled ire
New York rate to South Africa.
Il may say 1 know that the freights
are pooled" he testified. Subject to !
that conference were the Houston line,
the Prince line, the Hama line, the
Union Clay line and the American
African line.
Asks For Judicial Inquiry.
A congressional investigation into
the conduct of United States district
Judge John c. Pollock, of Kansas, and
United States district judge A S Van
of the western district Of
was asked for in a resolution
presented to the house today by repre-
sentative Borland, of Missouri. It is
alleged that they appointed three re-
eeivers for the Kansas Natural Gas
a pipe line, who were friend
y to the interests, design and pur-
poses" of that company and the United
Gas Improvement company, Of Ph1la-
ielphia, which controlled it.
The house today began consideration
IF the postoffice appropriation bill,
and adopted a resolution apprOpriatinS
$40, 600 for the Encouragement of the
seats and desks of the house chamber.
Eight Millions for Indians
The indian appropriation bill car
wing approximately SS,000,OOO, was
,assed by the house. The principal
tens in the bill. as finally adopted by /
he house, include for gratuity appro-
,riations S6,O84093; for fulfilling treaty
S74O.560; and for REIN |
Durseable items, sS50,0O0.
Seek to Prevent FrOSts.
Representative Rakers of California, |
Introduced a bill that would appropri- /
tie 500. 600 to investigate and perfect
system of frost prevention IN the J
1trus and deciduOus fruit regions OF ;
he United States.