The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-02
Democrats Deaf to Pleas of
the Beet and Sugar
Industries
FIRST BREAK MADE ]
IN SOLID FROr s
IS
Louisiana Representatives Joi o.
publicans in Fight on the : .
Schedule-Little Delay
pected in Passing Bill
THE DAY IN CONGRESS

Senate passed Dupont resolution
calling for report from Secretary of
War on retired officers and their civil
employment
Passed Berah resolution calling
upon Secretary of War FOR report on
charges of human slavery in the Phil
ppines.
Went into executive session to con-
slider nominations.
Senator Cummins introduced bill to
merge bureau of corporations into a
trade commission with power to- in
vestigate the observance of the anti
trust law.
Senator O'Gormdn introduced bill
empowering Secretary Of War to give
medal to each surviving Union and
Confederate soldier of battle of Get
tysburg.
Adjourned at 4;O5 p. m. until noon,
Monday.
House.
Met at II a. m.
Resumed reading of tariff bin for
amendment under five minute rule.
Representative Hobson introduced
bill for creation of the parental court
of the United States" to have iuris-
diction over children under 10 years
old.
Recessed at 6:25 p. m. until 7i5 a.
IN.
Adjourned at ;O7 p. M until Il az
m. tomorrow.
Washington May 1.--All efforts of the
opposition to disturb the market basket
reductions in the democratic tariff bill
failed in the House today despite the fact
that republican orators sounded warn
ings of ruined Industries, enforced idle
ness and empty cupboards to follow the
enactment of the Underwood bill.
Still championng the bill as the great
est that ever has been written for the
betterment of the people of the country
the democrats were deaf to the pleas of
representatives of the beet and cane sugar
constituencies against free sugar in three
Nears: unmoved b. the charge that they
Il sislated into the hands of the beef trust
by placing duties on live stock while free
listing their products; determined to rush
the passage of the bill at the earliest
moment.
The first break from the solid front OF
the majority came, however, when Louisi-
ana democrats. led by Representative
Broussard. appealed to Republican Leader
Mann for share of time in which to
speak against the sugar schedule and
when Representative Kinkead, New Jer-
sey democrat, uttered a prediction that
the Senate would strike out the ways
and means committees 10 per cent rates
on live stock
Introduces Amendment
When Representative Sloan of Nebraska
introduced an amendment to increase the
rat TO on pat =
ter a % per cent amendment by Fordney
of Michigan had been rejected, Mr.. Kin
kead declared that he believed that the
ways and means committee had kept the
platform pledge to the people when they
had reduced live stock rates to 10 per
cent, but he felt that the committee should
have placed live stock on the free list
along with meats.
Il believe and hope" said Mr. Kin
kead, that when it comes back to us
from the Senate the duty will be cut off
and that every democrat on this floor
will support it."
This aroused prolonged applause from
the republicans, who earlier was stirred
to enthusiastic cheers when Mr.. Brous-
sard declared that the sugar rates pro-
posed by his party would rebound only to
the benefit OF the sugar trust. The test
vote on sugar came. on an amendment
offered by Minority Leader Mann to strike
cut the provision placing sugar on the
free list in three years. 1t was lost SS
TO 1856 Representative HardwicS of Geor-
Sia defended the rates for the majority
describing Americas sugar industry as
of the hot house" variety, unable to
stand on its own feet and exacting excess
Psive taxes from the people to support
it, Representative Mann opposed the
n tat dor od
closed the debate.
No man is so ignorant that he does
not KNOW, said Mr. Mann, that the
price of sugar in this country would be
100 to 200 per cent higher than it
is, Were it not for the beet sugar sup
ply produced in this country and yet you
intend to strike down this industry in the
United States
Make Most of Opportunity
Make the most OF your opportunity;
the country is ready to say your tariff
legislation is failure, and the first OPP
poftunity the people have will be the
last opportunity you will have"
Representative Underwood analyzed the
sugar rates in the proposed bill, described
the Louisiana cane industry as one that
could not survive and asserted that the
rates in the bill would not affect the
beet sugar industry. Beet sugar in this
country can be produced on an equality
with European rivals with no possibility
of competition within reasonable zone
he said. What the western beet sugar
people seek is to tax the American peo-
pie in order to bring their beet sugar to
the Atlantic seaboard and drive out all
competition. 1t is simply question of
freight rates.
The Japanese question was touched
upon by the debate on the wood schedule,
several members predicting that reduc-
tions on shingles and other wood pro-
ducts would turn the lumber camps of
the west into oriental labor camps Rep
resentative Falconer, progressive, of
Washington, alluded to the democrats as
"Hindu-Chinese-Jap lovers" and
told them, your democratic Secretary
of State is coming back from California
to tell your democratic President some
facts about Oriental labor that he does
not know
The agricultural schedule precipitated
prolonged discussion. though Mr.. Under
wood held 1t down with frequent motions
to cut off debate on successive para
graphs. Amendments were offered to In
(Ccntinued ON Page Nisel