New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-22
Representative Mann Starts
an OId-FashiOned Parti-
san Squabble.
REPORT OF REDFIELD
CALLED MISLEADING
Humphrey Says Secretary's Reply
to Challenge Is Not Sup.
ported by Evidence.
From The Tribune Bureau.

Washington. Feb 21.-With a display of
temper on both sides Of the chan the
House to-day staged an old fashioned
partisan debate regarding the effect or
the Democratic tariff law. The air was
filed with such expressions as chai-
lence." calamity hovier," soup houses
and thousands Of unemployed.
Representative Mann, the minority
leader. started the trouble when he asked
TO have read the recent announcement by
The Commission on Industrial Relations
that II would investigate ths cause OF un-
emplovment throughout the country. Re
publicans wore an "J-told- you-so' iooH
Then Representative Humphrey, Repub-
lican. OF Washington, jumped into the fray
by renewing the charge that hali OF the
steel mills i'm the country were smut down
and that the reply OF the Secretary OF
Commerce to his former challenge was
misleading. Mr.. Underwood waHed TO
insert in The Record" Mr.. Redhelc hg
ures on the lumber ana shinsle industry
in the Northwest. These figures disagreed
radically with those OF Mr.. Humphre!
and he demanded the tight To replN ne
fore conserving 10 their punil cst'oh.
There were cries for The regular osdef
everybody having a different opinion az
ia what constituted the regular order
"You are afraid TO have this statement
of the Secretary OF Commerce puo!lshed
yelled 4 Democrat
We want EN- published" retorten MI.
Humphrey. They're all wrong. and III
show them up.
The Redheld letter WAS finally pu' INTO
The Record" Mr. Humphrey declared
that the data used by the Secretary Of
Commerce had been gathered by cheap
two-bv-four detectives" Furthermore.
said Mr.. Humphrey. the Redneld state
ment was not in accord with the facts
presented by mis- investigators.
81 will not allow to so unassailed the
insinua. lion that the Secretary OF COM
merce has falsifed himself said Mr.. n
derwood.
The gentleman from Alabama does not
know what he is talking about, sald MI
Humphrey. II make the statement no"
that the evidence contradicts every ma
terial statement in that letter and III
prove IT,"
Mr.. Underwood challenged Mr. Hum
phrey 10 prove il. SO did MI Fitzgerald
Mr.. Humphrey challenged the Secretary
of Commerce or any other Democrat To
nrove that he was not right when he as
serted that half Of the steel mills were
closed down and that the lumber ana
shinele INDUSTRY in Washington had been
hard hit by the Democratic sdminlstra-
ton. The controversy ended when MI
Mann made a point OF no quorum which
brought motion TO adjourn before Inc
eIowering legislators
Assailne the figures OF Secretary Red
field. Mr.. Humphrey said
"The December balance OF trade was
SAG, 900. 900 against us, the FIRST time the
balance Of trade has been against us
since the old Wilson tariff went off the
books Customs receipts for December
1912. were s24.00000o; for December,
1918. s2l. zoe. 600. a loss OF sS.ooo,00o.
Every day that the new tariff law has
been on the books the balance OF trade
has been against us to the extent OF 81
600 900. Every day this nation has run
into debt 81 900, 900"
Representative Humphrey gave long
string Of similar figures, showing trade
with nearly every country in the world.
lie said that in every instance the United
States was the loser under the Underwood
tariff
Representstive Fitzgerald said that
under the Republican tariff law there
was deficit regularly at one time OF the
year because OF inadequate customs re-
ceipts and added that by June payments
aggregatng $4,000, 900 or s9o,oOo,ooo for
the ten months OF the last calendar year
would begin 10 be paid under the Demo-
cratic income tax law.