The Washington herald., 1913-08-13
Made
ON TARIFF BILL
Five Paragraphs Of the Metal
Schedule Disposed Of
by Senate.
LODGE FINDS ERROR
Massachusetts, Member Locates Big
Increase in Duiy-Close
Votes Occur.
LODGE FINDS ERROR

The MISUNDERSTANDING bill in it's
progress through the Senate struck a
liyelier gait yesterday. The Senate de-
voted seven hours to consideration Of the
bill, and made some Roadway.
Five paragraphs In the metal schedule.
which have been the subject of contro-
versy, were disposed of. Four of these
were agreed to without roll call. These
were fish hooks and fishing tackle. hooks
and eyes and fasteners, lead dross. and
paragraph 1s9 known as the basket
clause of the metal schedule.
One Roll Call.
The only roll call was on the adoption
of the committee amendment which pro-
posed a duty of three-fourths Of cent
per pound on the lead contained in lead
bearing ores. The House had made this
duty one-half of a cent, the Senate in
creased to three-fourths of a cent. and
Senator Smoot tried to have 1t increased
to ] cent The committee was sustained
by a vote of 40 to "a.
Senator La Toilette asked to be excused
from voting on the paragraph, for the
same reason that he was excused at
the time the Payne-Aldrich bill was under
consideration, namely. that he had
small interest in mineral lands In Wis
consin which produce lead-zinc ores.
Senator Lodge pointed out an error In
the paragraph relating to watch move
ments, and forced the Democratic lead
ers to recommit the paragraph. While
making a general attack on the para
graph, Senator Lodge pointed out that
the Finance Committee, in changing the
duty on time-detectors from specific to
an ad valorem duty, had increased the
duty 100 per cent or from an equivalent
ad valorem of Is per cent TO an ad
yalorem of 90 per cent. Senator Lodge
moved to recommit the paragraph. ana
Senator Stone OF Missouri. who had
charge of the schedule in the bill. prompt
" agreed to recommit the paragraph TO
have it rewritten to conform to pohcy
of revising the tariff downward"
Aluminium Rate Perplexes.
The Senate then passed from the meta's
schedule to tobacco. Several items are
still reserved in the metals schedule.
among them aluminium. These will have
to be returned to. The Democrats admit
that they are somewhat embarrassed b.
the aluminium paragraph. Senator Ken.
Won Of Iowa has offered an amendm M
placing aluminium and its products on tbs
free list. The Baltimore platform de-
cIared in favor of placing all trust-made
products on the free list Senator Ken
yon has invited the Democrats to J1ih
him in carrying out the platform pledge.
The Democratic leaders say that tn
duties on aluminium will yield a quarter
Of a million dollars worth OF revenue
since the duty is SO small that
il cannot benefit the trust, and that its
removal would not reduce the price Oh
aluminium to the consumer. There was
some talk yesterday of recommitting the |
to the Finance Committee. or |
o a caucus of Democratic Senators. |
The tobacco schedule which consists OF
,nly five paragraphs. was promptly DIS \
,osed Of The Senate made no change
rom the House rates.
Live stock Debated.
The agricultural schedule was taken
I'D in the last hour and there was some |
interesting contests over the first few
relating to live stock. The
closest vote that has yet been recorded
On any roll call was disclosed on an
offered by Senator Catron Of
New Mexico to restore the House duty |
Of 10 per cent on sheep. This amend |
nent was lost by only five votes. Every
Republican voted for the amendment, |
and Senator Thornton of Louisiana, a i
Democrat, broke away from the caucus
and voted for restoring the
duty on sheep. 1t was the first break
in the solid Democratic column that has
supported every paragraph in the bill
up to this time.
From this time forward there is likely |
to be frequent close votes on paragraphs
IN the bill. The sugar schedule was
passed over in the absence on account of
illness of Senator Ransdell Of Louisiana.
There was some muttering on the Re- |
publican side because the Democrats in |
sisted on pairing Senator Ransdell with
a Republican on the close votes upon
duties on live stock. Some of
the Republicans expressed the opinion |
that If Senator Ransdell had been present |
he would have voted with his colleague, |
Senator Thornton, in favor of the duties |
that are supported by Republicans. But
he friends OF Mr.. Ransdell said there |
was no positive ground for any such |
conclusion, and that Senator Ransdells 4
attitude toward the tariff bill is not to
De judged by what his colleague may
do.