Arizona republican., 1921-01-08
Representative Says Manufacturers Have
 Not Requested Duty On Egyptian Cotton
CRepubIiean A. p. Leased WIre1

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7.-Consider- ation of the Fordney emergency tariff bill was sidetracked for a time today by the senate finance committee while it's members defended efforts of the government to force down living costs. The departure from the pro- gram came when a witness charged the government with responsibility for economic conditions confronting the country through encouragement of a buyers strike. For an hour, decorum was cast off and pointed exchanges took place.
 Notwithstanding warnings by Act ing Chairman McCumber and Senator Shoot, Republican of Utah, that the committee must obtain speedy action on the bill to prevent further losses for the farmers, Senators Thomas, Colorado, and Jones of New Mexico, Democrats, indulged in spirited ar gument with Colonel John F. Wood of Philadelphia who appeared on behalf of the wool manufacturers. Colonel Woods assertion that the government and particularly the department Of justice had been "unwise" in promul gating a campaign against the high prices met with the rejoinder by Sena- tor Thomas that present conditions were simply those of "one man being willing to see another lose money but very anxious not to lose any himself" 1 Senator Jones asked the witness whether his charges of unwisdom could not also be applied to the Calder committee investigating housing and to the senate itself, flor many mem bers have been active in agitating for price decline" MT. Wood replied that he was unfamiliar with the Cal der committees work but he knew the accusations of senators many times had materially affected prices.
 Blame Buyers Strike
 My objections" continued the wit ness, are principally against tho methods used by the government and particularly by Attorney General Palmer. MT. Palmer and his staff, in- stead of seeking out and prosecuting specific eases of profiteering have
 dealt in generalities. It has resulted in discredit attaching to all busi-
 ness"
 !. Senator Thomas declared that Mir
 uncover specific cases and added thai
 business should have purged its owI } ranks. He expressed the belief tha
 the Consumer had some rights after } all and that the government had func- , ttoned in the interests of "a vast ma jority of the people" when it sought [ to bring down the price of com , InOQlueS-
 To this declaration Colonel WooC
 replied that there had been "a war.
 ranted resentment against the higl
 prices" and said that the government had been successful to the point tha , all prices have gone down and to thu ! extent that hundreds of thousands O.
 men have been thrown out of work.
 The committee also heard George D
 Briggs, representing the Nationa
 Sheep and Wool bureau; Representa- tive Walsh. Republican of Massachu
 setts; John Astergren of Portsmouth . Va, representing vegetable oil pro 5 ducers, and D. l.. Groner, of Norfolk [ Va, representing peanut producers. Everybody Has Favorite MT. Astergren as well as MT. Gro ner, supported the bill, but reQueste,
 the committee to correct the proposes methods of assessing tariff on vege table oils. The bill fixes the rate ol | per gallon basis while Mir. Astergrel = sought to have 1t levied on the uni g of a pound.
 e Representative Walsh appeared fo s manufacturers using Egyptian lon
 staple cotton on which the bill levie